Creative Antenna Experiments Series: An SDR Setup for Backpacking

Our mission at ClearSkyRF is to provide a low-threshold experimental environment that unleashes new forms of creativity and scientific insight.

Using what’s at hand and making the most of your surroundings is critical to gaining quick insights without the high price tag associated with formal experimentation.

In this series, I share documentation from my past experiments — hopefully to spark ideas and conversations.

My spouse and I go backpacking once in a while. On a week-long trip through Wyoming, I packed the lightest possible SDR setup: an Android phone, a battery bank, small solar panels, an RTL-SDR, an upconverter, a balun, and some wire.