Nooelec RTL-SDR v5 Bundle - NESDR SMArt HF/VHF/UHF (100kHz-1.75GHz) Software Defined Radio. Premium RTLSDR w/ 0.5PPM TCXO, SM
Reviewed 23 August 2026 · price checked live
Check price on Amazon →Overview
NooElec RTL-SDR v5 Bundle - NESDR SMArt HF/VHF/UHF is one of the 50 radio communication products in our catalogue, tracked on rating, review volume and live price. The maker describes it as follows: Turn your computer, phone or tablet into a radio scanner/ham radio receiver that can receive nearly all RF signals! Compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Android. SDR v5 can be used for the reception of broadcast AM radio, broadcast FM radio, shortwave radio, CB radio, public security radio, trunked radio, air traffic control. Those are the seller's own claims rather than our testing, so treat them as a starting point. On Amazon it holds 4.3 out of 5 from 3,888 ratings. What that score is worth next to its rivals is set out below.
- Brand
- NooElec
- Amazon rating
- 4.3 / 5 from 3,888 ratings
- vs Radio Communication
- 0.1 below the category median of 4.4
- Rank in category
- 45 of 50 rated radio communication we track
- Price position
- Towards the top of the range (category spans £6.59 to £210)
- How proven
- One of the most-reviewed in its category
How it compares in Radio Communication
Across the 50 rated radio communication products we track, the typical score is 4.4 out of 5. This one sits at 4.3, which is in the bottom quarter of the category. That does not make it a bad buy, but there are better-rated alternatives on the same shelf, so it needs another reason to earn your money.
It carries 3,888 ratings against a category median of 346. A rating from a large base is harder to distort and tends to hold up over time, so a high score here means more than the same score on a new listing.
On price it sits in the upper third of a category running from £6.59 to £210, where the midpoint is about £33.99. Paying above the category norm needs a reason beyond the rating, because the score alone does not justify the gap here.
Worked out from the 50 radio communication products in our catalogue, not from the brand's own claims. How we rank →
Key features
- Turn your computer, phone or tablet into a radio scanner/ham radio receiver that can receive nearly all RF signals! Compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Android
- NESDR SMArt RTL-SDR v5 can be used for the reception of broadcast AM radio, broadcast FM radio, shortwave radio, CB radio, public security radio, trunked radio, air traffic control, ACARS (plane-ground communications), ADS-B (plane tracking), AIS (ship tracking), POCSAG (pagers), NOAA and GOES weather satellites (weather images), weather balloons, radiosondes, DAB radio, DVB-T video, Inmarsat, Iridium, and so much more!
- The best-performing low-cost RTL-SDR available anywhere! Compared with RTL-SDR v3, HF SNR is improved by up to 15dB, VHF & UHF SNR is improved by up to 6dB., tuning accuracy is improved by an average of 4x, and the frequency range is expanded all the way down to 100kHz
- v5 has a frequency capability of 100kHz to 1.75GHz and up to 3.2MHz of instantaneous bandwidth. HF reception below 25MHz is accomplished with direct sampling and requires a suitable antenna. We recommend using a Balun One Nine to make a DIY long wire or dipole antenna (sold separately, product ID B08HGSYB7R or B00R09WHT6)
- Though the direct sampling implementation of NESDR SMArt v5 is much better than any other RTL-SDR, we still recommend using an upconverter like the Ham It Up for a more fulfilling HF experience (sold separately, product ID B076CYK8XZ)
- Your purchase includes a NESDR SMArt v5 RTL-SDR, a magnetic antenna base with a 2m (6.5') RG-58 feed cable, and 3 different antenna masts for UHF and VHF operation, including a variable-frequency telescopic antenna
