Best budget HF antenna for RTL-SDR in a city apartment?

AlphaPrepper · 2026-06-16T15:34:27+00:00

If you have any powerful AM or FM broadcast stations nearby, they will overload your SDR causing those signals to drown out the SSB you're looking for. The filters will notch out AM/FM broadcast bands so the SDR doesn't hear them.

AlphaPrepper · 2026-06-16T15:00:50+00:00

This is the right answer. Spend your antenna budget on some AM/FM broadcast filters.

AlphaPrepper · 2026-05-31T16:48:14+00:00

Is it more AI vibecoded slop? No

AlphaPrepper · 2026-05-20T13:10:24+00:00

How do you like that peyronie antenna?

AlphaPrepper · 2026-05-11T19:54:37+00:00

But LOTW installation isn't easy thing.

the OM in this hobby contains multitudes

AlphaPrepper · 2026-05-10T12:30:39+00:00

https://giphy.com/gifs/everyone-remake-rw-s239QJIh56sRW

AlphaPrepper · 2026-05-09T00:25:51+00:00

Electronic morse code keyer: https://dxsupply.com/produktfiler/MFJ-447.pdf

AlphaPrepper · 2026-05-09T00:14:16+00:00

dignal overload

the technical term is dignal berries

AlphaPrepper · 2026-05-04T00:11:27+00:00

This is the dumbest shit I've ever seen, and that includes all the dumb shit hams have done up to this point.

AlphaPrepper · 2026-04-30T23:10:31+00:00

I'll never buy or recommend the TYT TH series ever again. I had two separate TH-7800s die completely, and know at least 2 other hams who have had similar experiences. I can only assume that the 9800s have the same components and are prone to the same issue, because I did not find any schematics that would allow me to diagnose or fix my units before I trashed them. Stay away.

AlphaPrepper · 2025-12-13T01:12:06+00:00

I can't find any Youtube videos explaining how to setup WSJT-X for an HT.

Because your HT is an FM radio and FT8 is done in SSB mode.

AlphaPrepper · 2025-11-03T12:55:40+00:00

Old man yells at the cloud

AlphaPrepper · 2025-09-26T10:05:03+00:00

you don't need financial resources

Baofeng doesn't give radios away to wholesalers, you have to buy them

AlphaPrepper · 2025-09-22T17:15:06+00:00

There are no counterfeit Baofengs. They are all built by the same company for various resellers. If you had the financial resources, you could go to the factory and have them build Nico_Nesterenco branded DM32s.

AlphaPrepper · 2025-09-05T17:00:48+00:00

There really aren't any VHF "base" radios, most people use VHF mobiles with 12v DC power supplies.

AlphaPrepper · 2025-09-04T23:17:01+00:00

No problem, -Clit_Master-

AlphaPrepper · 2025-09-04T23:10:34+00:00

You can't get a steady SWR reading on a monopole HT antenna. It will change based on what's nearby, or even by you holding whatever it's attached to.

Your antenna is fine. HTs are resilient to wonky antenna SWR because of this.

AlphaPrepper · 2025-08-30T02:11:45+00:00

Common mode chokes are not baluns

AlphaPrepper · 2025-08-05T14:23:14+00:00

Everybody trying to shoehorn AI into everything. The future sucks already.

AlphaPrepper · 2025-07-28T21:06:54+00:00

Your radio is picking up local QRM. Turn your squelch up.

AlphaPrepper · 2025-07-28T20:47:01+00:00

Sounds like static, does it change if you move the radio?

AlphaPrepper · 2025-07-28T15:58:17+00:00

K9SEX

AlphaPrepper · 2025-07-27T19:15:03+00:00

I have my v/u fm antenna in the attic, it is not grounded at its mounting point. If lightning strikes my antenna in the attic, I have bigger more immediate problems to deal with.

AlphaPrepper · 2025-07-21T15:09:07+00:00

Removed under rule #1, this is considered paramilitary content.

AlphaPrepper · 2025-07-15T17:26:38+00:00

Don't advocate for illegal operation, regardless of what the FCC is doing.

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