Discount Radio: Getting Started With SDR

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24 Nov 2025

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If you’re new to the world of radio, it can be a bit of a mission figuring out where to start. With each niche having its own demands, understanding the technical specifications can often mean trawling the notes or looking for reviews to get your head around things.

Sometimes, rather than reading notes, you just want to get started, and with that said, we’re going to check out some of the available products from our friends over at Open Source SDR Lab. They’ve got a broad range of equipment that will help get your SDR journey off to a flying start.

But first, we don’t want you spending any more than you have to when it comes to getting started. And Open Source SDR Lab shares that view, which is why, as a Radio Hackers reader, you can get a further discount on the product line.

If you spend over $100.00 on hardware, apply the code “radiohackers” at checkout to receive an additional 5% off the list price.

To browse the full product range, visit this link. Otherwise, keep reading to get some holiday gift ideas for yourself, or the cyber geek in your life.

The Evil Crow

An RF-based pentesting tool, the Evil Crow, has two CC1101 modules and an additional NRF24L01 that enables transmission or reception on multiple frequencies. As simple as it is effective, the Crow uses a web interface for setup and is capable of operating within a broad chunk of the ISM bands. While it’s not as capable as some equivalent units, its affordable price makes it attractive to those who might want to start experimenting without incurring the cost of a Flipper Zero or HackRF.

Get the Evil Crow

The PortaRF

With the new version of the HackRF in the mix, it’s never been cheaper to get yourself a Portapack. While the Portapack H4 gives you the option of the Module Development Kit to endow it with Flipper Zero-esque capabilities, its GPIO pins being exposed means it looks a little ordinary.

A much better option is the OSSDRLab in-house design. Known as the PortaRF, it combines both the HackRF and the Portapack into a single PCB, which is then put into its own custom enclosure.

The great thing about the PortaRF is that you can also choose to option it with an internal MDK module, giving you the full capabilities of the H4 in a much more usable form factor.

We weren’t able to test the PortaRF in time for the release of this article, but we’ll be doing a full review in the new year to help give you the lowdown on why this is a cool bit of gear for learning.

Get Your PortaRF

The Nano VNA

Exploring the spectrum isn’t just about picking something up to transmit or receive. Sometimes, you’ll want to build antennas, experiment with different systems and learn more about the factors that can influence certain designs.

This means you need to get hands-on with the numbers, and to do this, you’ll want an accurate piece of test gear to help you understand what your system is doing.

Back in the good ‘ol days, this would entail spending thousands on hardware to help you with this, but today, we can do it on the cheap without sacrificing quality.

The Nano VNA(Vector Network Analyser) can help you with this. With a broad range of test functions and a frequency range between 1MHz to 6 GHz, you can really get to building and testing. A nano VNA, a 3d Printer and some coaxial connectors with wire can help unlock a whole world of antenna design. Or skip the 3d printer and chop a bunch of plastic insulators to achieve the same result on the cheap.

We don’t judge here, but whatever path you take, you’ll need to test it!

Get Your NanoVNA

The Wave Sentry

Homebrewed hardware is about as cool as it gets, but there’s no denying that in a lot of instances it can look a little rudimentary or even a bit sketchy. While this is usually fine for homelab purposes, it can pose a problem if you take these devices out into the real world or travel with them.

The WaveSentry aims to fix this issue. A slightly defanged, ESP-32 Marauder, it comes in two versions: the Standard and the Pro.

The Pro is fitted with a thermal camera, and both variants have a radio receiver. The Wavesentry gives you all of the OSINT features of the Marauder, in a clean package that won’t land you in jail if you go out signal hunting. While it’s not as feature-rich as the original Marauder, it’s still a great educational tool that is fully legal.

The WaveSentry Pro is currently on the test bench, and you can look forward to a full write-up soon.

Get Your WaveSentry

The GeekRF One

If you’re more interested in connecting your SDR to a laptop instead of exploring out and about, then perhaps the GeekRF One might be more your scene. Based on the original ADALM-PLUTO SDR design, the Geek RF is capable of tx/rx from 70MHz — 6GHz and, unlike most SDR systems, it is a full-duplex transceiver. If you’ve spent any time around amateur satellites, you’ll know that full-duplex capabilities make the process much easier.

A quick glance at the listed specs shows several improvements over the original Pluto; however, despite this, the system remains compatible with the PlutoSDR firmware. You’ll find a .5ppm TXCO to ensure it remains frequency-stable and twin SMA connectors, each for TX & RX means you can easily test the antennas you built with your NANO-VNA.

If you’re interested in space communications or satellites, the GeekRF might be a good upgrade option from the original RTL—SDR.

Get Your GeekRF One

Over To You

With the range at OSSDRLab being pretty broad, it was hard to select just five items to make the final edit. So if this article got your interest up, it’s worth checking out the full range of products that are available in store.

A quick reminder, though. Some of these tools are designed purely for lab or red teaming purposes, and in some instances, transmitting certain signals may require a suitable license that comes with conditions.

While the ISM bands are always legal fun, to prevent any headaches, be sure to check out the rules and regulations that govern the radio spectrum in your region. This ensures that your learning stays legal and doesn't interfere with the operation of others.

If you’re after more specials, more often, then jump onto your socials and give our new partners over at OSSDRLab a follow.

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