NooElec NESDR Nano 3 - Premium Tiny RTL-SDR w/Aluminum Enclosure, 0.5PPM TCXO, SMA & MCX Input & Custom Heatsink. RTL2832U & R820T2-Based Software Defined Radio

I am impressed by the tiny size and performance of this. I like the fact they designed it with the raspberry pi usb port dimensions in mind such that they fit perfectly even with 4 installed (not sure if this would be possible due to power requirements however) i know 2 is possible though. The heat sink shows that you get 2, which would have been nice because these puppies get HOT when in use. I came up with a way to drain even more heat though by using a solid aluminum case by FLIRC and slipping a piece of thermal pad/tape in between the FLIRC case and the radio's aluminum case where they meet. It's designed with very close tolerances so this works very well almost meant to be! you get a little bit more heat dissipation that way. Just search for FLIRC raspberry pi case on amazon and you'll find it. Anyway, this is Nooelecs best sdr design so far, imho. Some people did mention that the screws holding on the case can become stripped and loose easily, i haven't experienced this but it makes sense considering how little surface area there was for cutting threads and how soft aluminum is, so be careful with that or add a drop or two of thread locker, or super glue if you want and it should be alright. Mcx to sma adapter included, the mcx to type N I have snapped in though fits snugly and there is no wiggle. This is reassuring compared to some previous models that were sometimes loose.

I would have given this five stars if it weren’t for the fact it runs very hot. I had to add a dongle to it so that it would not overheat my pie. This device preforms well, is very accurate and is very stable.

I’m a fan of NooElec’s products. I own two NESDR SMArt receivers and a Ham it Up 1.3 with a Balun One Nine on its input. The price-to-performance ratio on their SDR modules—built in the US and Canada, no less—is excellent, as is their customer service. Emailed support queries are answered promptly, sometimes within minutes, by knowledgeable and friendly staff. When I had questions regarding the resonsance point of the fixed whips included with the SMArt bundle (I don’t own a UHF antenna analyzer), I received an honest “I don’t know, but I’ve escalated your question to an engineer”, followed up with an answer. When I needed an end panel for the aluminum Ham it Up enclosure, tapped for the optional noise source jack, they shipped it out promptly at no cost. I could go on.I recently acquired a handheld QRP HF transceiver with an IF tap, and I immediately knew the Nano 3 would make the perfect panadapter interface for my Netbook. My first impression upon unpacking the Nano 3 was, “man, this thing is tiny”. An 90° MCX to SMA adapter and optional heat sink are included in a small antistatic bag. Without the heat sink, the Nano 3 is designed to fit 2x2 in a Raspberry Pi’s USB ports.I need some time to decide if I feel like installing the heat sink myself, but I expect tuning to remain within the TXCO’s 0.5ppm spec, same as the SMArt, at least until the device is used outdoors in the heat. Out of the box, tuning is indeed as stable as advertised; my unit needed no compensation within in SDR#.This is a very affordable, very cool device.

I have 3 SDR dongles from NooElec. They all work perfectly and as other reviews have stated they all get very hot. That's just a characteristic of this type of circuit design. These NooElec SDR's in the metal enclosure are much more durable than the cheaper plastic dongles designed for watching DAB Television broadcast.Purchase a quality antenna and you will get good results with this device. I use mine to decode Los Angeles Police Department traffic and listen to local Ham Radio repeaters.These dongles will not do HF or AM broadcast without additional equipment.

Works as expected but it gets very hot and only comes with 1 heat sink as opposed to the 2 that are in the picture so I'm only giving it 3 stars. Otherwise it would get 4 because the aluminum casing isn't sized correctly. The end pieces are made a little too big and rattle even with the screws tightened.

I love the small package! I use an RTL SDR in the lab for signal analysis and test and measurement. An accurate clock is critical for this. In places where an OXCO is not needed, the 0.5PPM stability of the TCXO in the NESDR Nano 3 is perfect for my needs.The device is small and does get quite hot. Even with the temperature swings from cold to hot, the SDR remained well within it's 0.5ppm tolerance. The heat is not an issue for me -- the aluminum case seems to dissipate the heat generated. I trust Noelec to have designed it properly to deal with the heat. That said, I would avoid using this near low-temperature plastics like PLA.People should note that the 0.5ppm accuracy is over its working temperature range, not absolute. Some calibration may be required to get the most accuracy from each SDR.For my setup, I found a short MCX to SMA adapter cable to be preferrable to the supplied elbow adapter.

I have a few of these now and will probably get more. I run them on Raspberry Pi systems for various purposes including ADSB tracking, APRS tracking, 433mhz decoding of weather and leak detectors, and scanner use. They work well, the main complaint is how hot they run even with the heatsink installed.

This is a great little SDR. It does get very hot but if you are looking for small look no further.