Airspy R2 SDR Rx
In stock, shipped in 1 to 2 days
Supply Scope
- Airspy R2 in metal housing
- USB cable
Airspy Hardware
The
Airspy R2 is one of the best known SDR receivers on the market. It
offers a continous reception range from 24 to 1800 MHz, which makes it
suitable for analysis and reception of a large number of VHF and UHF
signals. To receive the entire HF band (plus long and medium wave) an
optional up converter is offered, which is perfectly tuned to match the
receiver.
The
real capabilities of an SDR are determined by - how surprising :) - the
software. The designers of the Airspy SDR are the same people who also
write the SDR# (SDR sharp) software. Because of this perfectly aligned
joint development of hard and software the resulting system can do
things which are hard to achieve for other manufacturers. The SDR#
software is one of the best known and most often used programs for SDR
operations - for good reasons. It is easy to operate and offers
intuitive operations for many functions. The open plugin architecture
allows other program authors to offer even more functions, and the user
can combine functions as his or her requirements demand. Due to the
joint development of hard and software the Airspy and SDR# software are
always perfectly tuned to work together.
Good software continues to develop, and so does Airspy's SDR# programme. Here are just two of the most interesting innovations of the last few months that are worth trying out:
- "Co-Channel Canceller": suppresses transmitters on the same channel, ideal for DX reception on medium wave.
- NINR - the "Natural Intelligence Noise Reduction", a very impressive noise reduction for many operating modes
Airspy R2 description
The Airspy R2 receiver builds upon the widely used R820T2 tuner chip made by Rafael Electronis. In combination with a powerful 32 bit Cortex ARM processor and a fast 12 Bit AD converter, the Airspy can get much more out of this tuner chip than usual DVB-T sticks with RTL chipset. For example the ARM chip can process much larger datasets, which results in a wider spectrum span for the user. The Airspy can display approx. 10 MHz at a glance (9 MHz alias free). The Cortex ARM ship is also responible for the fast data transfer over the USB 2.0 interface.
The
SDR employs a special clock generator with very low phase noise and a
precision of ±0.5 ppm. The low phase noise helps to increase the
sensitivity and dynamic range of the receiver. A very nice feature of
the Airspy R2 is the possibility to inject an external reference clock.
This can come from a Rubidium or GPS disciplined clock generator to
supprt measurements with highest precision, or to correlate multiple
receivers. Various GPIO port are available to control external devices. A
bias voltage can be switched on to the antenna connector to supply
external apmplifiers or suitable converters (4.5V, max. 50mA, see
below).
Another important feature is the open
documentation of the software interfaces (API). Even when you are not a
software author yourself, you will benefit from this because other
software engineers can (and do) provide extensions, plugins and own
programs for the Airspy. For example you will find ExtIO DLLs or drivers
for other operating systems. Also the firmware of the ARM processor of
the Airspy is available in source code and allows own adoptions.
Airspy Mini Description
For
those users who do not need the advanced functions (ext. clock iput,
GPIO ports etc) of the Airspy R2, or where space is at a premium, we
offer the smaller Airspy Mini. This SDR is built like a classic USB
stick and contains the same building blocks as the larger brother:
R820T2, LPS4370 ARM CPU, 12 bit ADC, low phase noise TCXO. This results
in about the same favorable reception characteristics as the Airspy R2.See here for instructions on how to use the Airspy as a ADSB 'Flightradar'.
Spyverter R2 HF Converter
Due to the design principle of the R820T2 tuner, the Airspy starts at a frequency of 24 MHz. If you want to listen to the entire long, medium and short wave range, you can use the the Spyverter R2 converter. This up-converter is a perfect match to the Airspy receiver, but can be used with nearly any other SDR as well. The power supply of the converter is done either via the receiver antenna connector or the Micro USB connector. This independent power supply makes the Spyverter R2 useable with any other receiver. The receive range is from 1 kHz to 60 MHz, the output is done from 120 to 180 MHz (up conversion). The IP3 value of the converter is an excellent +33dBm, additional filters at 60 MHz and 120/180 MHz reduce unwanted interference.
WiMo does offer the Spyverter R2 bundled with the Airspy R2 as 'Airspy Combo' at a special price.
All Airspy models can be used to receive signals of ADS-B transponder signals used in planes. With a PC or notebook and free software, f. ex. ADSBscope, the decoded data can be displayed on a radar display or in a clearly arranged list view.
All transmitted data like identification, type, height, position, speed etc. will be displayed.
An additional antenna compatible with 1090 MHz is required. Used outside you can achieve about 50km of reach with a small device antenna like SRH-789 by DIAMOND (see above). Depending on the amount of traffic about 20 to 50 planed can be received here in Herxheim. For stationary use an outdoor antenna is recommended. You can find robust antennas for mast mounting like the GP-1090, partially including cable set 10m or 20m and preamplifier, on our website.
Product Name | AIRSPY-R2 |
---|---|
Brand | Airspy |
Weight | 65 g |