1. RTL Series (RTL-2832U / R820T / E4000)
Price: $10.00 – $50.00
Place: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C37AZXK/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_1
Frequency Range: approx. 24 MHz – 1766 MHz
ADC Resolution: 8 Bits
Max Bandwidth: 3.2 MHz / 2.4 or 2.8 MHz max stable.
TX/RX: RX Only
Great for if you want to test the waters and see if you want to get into the wonderful hobby of SDR and Radio!
2. HackRF One
Price: $299.00
Place: http://www.nooelec.com/store/hackrf.html
Frequency Range: 1 MHz to 6 GHz
ADC Resolution: 8 Bits
Max Bandwidth: 20 MHz
TX/RX: TX and RX (Half Duplex)
Once you’ve taken the red pill, this is a very good tool to have in your kit. Also, get your HAM Radio Operators License if you buy this so you can start to experiment with transmissions!
3. BladeRF
Price: $420/$650
Place: http://www.nuand.com/blog/shop/
Frequency Range: 300 MHz – 3.8 GHz
ADC Resolution: 12 Bits
Max Bandwidth: 28 MHz
TX/RX: TX and RX (Full Duplex)
Okay, so you accidentally took two red pills… In all seriousness, this is another complementary tool to any SDR kit. Fun Fact: pair this with YateBTS and you too can setup a cellphone tower!
4. Ettus USRP
Price: $675 – $1100 (and more)
Place: https://www.ettus.com/product/category/USRP-Bus-Series
Frequency Range: 70 MHz – 6 GHz
ADC Resolution: 12 Bits
Max Bandwidth: 56 MHz
TX/RX: Yes
So many choices, so many capabilities. If you’re looking to buy one of these, you already know what you want. They are just as equally fantastic as the rest!
5. FunCube DonglePro +
Price: £124.99
Place: https://funcubedongle.3dcartstores.com/checkout_one.asp
Frequency Range: 150 kHz – 260 MHz and 410 MHz – 2.05 GHz
ADC Resolution: 16 Bits
Max Bandwidth: 192 kHz
TX/RX: RX Only
This fun device, while allowing you to be a receiver station for CubeSats, is versatile enough to receive other frequencies as well.
Others
There are MANY more SDR’s available and on the market. To view some additional ones, there is a great list at http://www.rtl-sdr.com/roundup-software-defined-radios/
And here’s a small kit!