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

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 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 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.

Just received my unit and it looks like the USB connector is crooked, after close examination it is - and the aluminum housing appears to also be slightly warpedThis still does appear to function normally, but I was disappointed with the packaging l, delivery and overall quality control

My initial review I mentioned that it didn't seem as sensitive as my SDRplay RSPdx however this morning I plugged it into my laptop and was blown away. I used this with RTL1090 and Virtual Radar and I was tracking between 20 and 45 aircraft pretty much all day. Apparently there isn't much air traffic prior to this because of the quarantine/shelter in place orders. Now that things are relaxing, I'm seeing everything from small aircraft doing training exercises to large jets flying overhead. Great product for how I intended to use it! Now to go off and try it with the Amateur Radio digital signals! :) Enjoy!

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.

I am using 4 of these SDR's on a old computer running Linux and SDR Trunk. They all run 24/7/365 with no issues. I use a handful of NooElec products and never had an issue.