[Hackrf-dev] Replacement HackRF One Reception Issues

[Michael Ossmann]

On Fri, Feb 05, 2016 at 02:19:22PM +0000, James Zervas wrote:
>
> I recently bought a HACKRF ONE from https://uk.passion-radio.com/gb/
> store in Paris France and I have had problems with poor reception
> even with FM Broadcast stations. To be honest I cannot HEAR ANYTHING
> AT ALL !, Only noise with the faint signals that it picks up.

This problem is often caused by a faulty or improper antenna.  What
antenna are you using?  Have you tried an alternative antenna?  One easy
alternative you can try is to straighten a paperclip and insert it into
the SMA connector.  Even though a paperclip isn't a very good antenna
for FM broadcasts, it is typically good enough for some stations if you
are in or near a city.

Has your software given you any error messages?  With some versions of
software, a failure to communicate with the HackRF (due to user
permissions, for example) can result in random noise in place of the
expected digital signal.

It would be helpful if you could provide a screenshot from Gqrx or GNU
Radio Companion showing the spectrum of the FM broadcast band.

For a walkthrough of how to listen to FM broadcast with GNU Radio, see:

http://greatscottgadgets.com/sdr/1

Mike