The mini is the younger brother of the $199 usd airspy r2, but despite the $100 usd price difference, both units are very similar, which makes the mini a very attractive option. In a previous review we compared the airspy r2 with the sdrplay rsp and the hackrf. In l band, airspy mini gives better results than rtl sdr.
Would the airspy work better in pulling in weaker signals? I'm mostly interested in receiving sw and the lower bands, but i am also interested with the upper bands as well. How much of a difference would i really notice?
Is it the same on the airspy/airspy mini or do they work better with the vhf/uhf/shf/microwave? I been using rtl sdr for a while and been thinking about upgrading to the airspy mini. The following plot shows the noise floor of an airspy mini vs r2 running at 20 mhz, both running at maximum gain (lowest noise figure) and terminated with a. Is there a big difference between 8 and 16 bit adc?
I'm debating and can't make up. I've noticed that signals seem less powerful in vhf on the airspy hf+ discovery. The sdr play rsp adds 8 switched preselection filters. I currently run an airspy r2 and an rtl sdr (v4) on the uk marine frequencies (r2 at work and rtl at home close to our lifeboat station) but i’m considering changing the rtl to an airspy but don’t know whether to go for an r2 or mini.