SDR Transceivers
HackRF, LimeSDR, PlutoSDR, USRP, bladeRF, Hermes Lite — TX-capable software-defined radios for hacking and ham.
The transmit-capable SDRs — boxes that can radiate, not just listen. These are the tools for protocol R&D, RF hacking, ham digital modes, replay attacks (legally, on your own devices), and learning DSP hands-on. Prices range from ~$160 (PlutoSDR) to several thousand (USRP X-series).
For receive-only see SDR Receivers; for the GNU Radio / SDR++ host software see SDR Software; for ham-flavored TX see Ham Digital Modes; for security applications see Side-Channel & TEMPEST; for protocol replay tooling see SDR Software (URH).
Warning before transmitting on any SDR: most TX-capable SDRs have wide-open spectral output and need filters. Without bandpass / lowpass filtering you'll radiate harmonics across multiple bands. Know your local rules — most countries require a license to transmit outside ISM / amateur bands you're authorized for.
HackRF (the hacker default)
- ★ HackRF One — 1 MHz – 6 GHz half-duplex; 8-bit ADC; 20 MS/s; the canonical hacker SDR. Open hardware, Apache 2.0 firmware, ubiquitous tutorial coverage. ~$330 from Great Scott Gadgets, ~$150 for clones.
- ★ HackRF One + PortaPack H4M — clip-on screen + battery + standalone firmware (Mayhem); handheld RF hacking for fox-hunting, replay, jamming testing, BLE / sub-GHz capture. ~$400 stack with case.
- Opera Cake — official 8-port antenna switch addon for HackRF; for spectrum-survey automation.
HackRF is half-duplex (TX or RX, not both at once) and 8-bit (limited dynamic range), but its ubiquity, open hardware, and PortaPack ecosystem make it the obvious "I want to do RF" pick.
PlutoSDR (the cheap full-duplex)
- ★ ADALM-PLUTO (PlutoSDR) — Analog Devices learning SDR; 325 MHz – 3.8 GHz officially, 70 MHz – 6 GHz with the famous one-line "frequency hack". Full-duplex; 12-bit; 61.44 MS/s. ~$230 educational price.
- The Pluto runs Linux internally on a Zynq SoC — you can
sshin. Great for learning DSP, GNU Radio flowgraph TX, and embedded RF.
LimeSDR (mid-tier)
- LimeSDR Mini 2.0 — 10 MHz – 3.5 GHz; full-duplex; 12-bit; 30.72 MS/s; ~$330. Open hardware. Solid mid-range pick.
- LimeSDR USB — older, 100 kHz – 3.8 GHz; 12-bit; 60 MHz BW; superseded by Mini 2.0 for most uses.
- LimeSDR XTRX — Mini-PCIe form factor; embed in routers / SBCs.
bladeRF (Nuand)
- bladeRF 2.0 micro xA4 / xA9 — 47 MHz – 6 GHz; full-duplex; 12-bit; 61.44 MS/s. xA9 has a bigger FPGA. ~$540 (xA4) / ~$720 (xA9). Open hardware; great for GSM / LTE research and FPGA DSP work.
USRP (Ettus / NI — the lab-grade)
- Ettus USRP B200 / B210 — 70 MHz – 6 GHz; 12-bit; 56 MHz BW; ~$1.3k. The professional / academic standard.
- USRP B205mini-i — embedded version; ~$1.4k.
- USRP N310 / X310 / X410 — 4-channel, 10 GbE / PCIe streaming; for serious research; $5k–$15k.
- UHD is the open-source driver; first-class GNU Radio / SoapySDR support.
Ham-flavored SDR transceivers (HF/VHF, real radios)
- ★ Hermes Lite 2 — open-hardware, ~$340 kit, 0 – 38 MHz, 5 W, full-duplex SDR HF transceiver. Used as a direct-sampling HF transceiver with PowerSDR / Quisk / Spark / Thetis on the host. Beloved in ham community.
- ANAN-7000DLE / ANAN-G2 — Apache Labs' commercial HF SDR transceivers (~$2.5k+); the Hermes-Lite scaled up.
- ★ QRP Labs QDX — $90 kit; HF digital-modes-only transceiver (FT8, FT4, JS8); USB-CAT controlled; the most popular FT8 starter rig of 2024–2026. Pair with WSJT-X.
- QRP Labs QMX — multimode CW + SSB + digital; kit; ~$130.
- uBITX v6 — open-source HF SSB/CW transceiver kit; ~$150.
- Elecraft KX2 / KX3 — premium kit/built portable HF transceivers; SDR-based internally; not open source; ~$1k+.
- Icom IC-7300 / IC-705 / IC-7610 — commercial direct-sampling SDR transceivers (closed firmware) but HF/VHF/UHF complete radios; the "rig you actually buy" tier.
- FlexRadio Flex 6000-series — premium SDR HF/VHF rigs; PowerSDR / SmartSDR controlled.
For digital modes on these radios, see Ham Digital Modes; for rig control see Hamlib & Rig Control.
Comparison cheat sheet
| SDR | Range | Duplex | ADC | Open HW | Price | Sweet spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HackRF One | 1 MHz – 6 GHz | Half | 8-bit | Yes | ~$330 | Hacking / education |
| PlutoSDR | 70 MHz – 6 GHz* | Full | 12-bit | Mostly | ~$230 | Learning / education |
| LimeSDR Mini 2.0 | 10 MHz – 3.5 GHz | Full | 12-bit | Yes | ~$330 | Hobby / R&D |
| bladeRF 2.0 micro | 47 MHz – 6 GHz | Full | 12-bit | Yes | ~$540+ | Cellular research |
| USRP B210 | 70 MHz – 6 GHz | Full | 12-bit | Driver only | ~$1.3k | Lab / academic |
| Hermes Lite 2 | 0 – 38 MHz | Full | 12-bit | Yes | ~$340 kit | Ham HF |
| QRP Labs QDX | HF only | TX/RX | — | Schematics | ~$90 kit | FT8 starter |
*With "frequency expansion" community hack on PlutoSDR.
License / legality notes
- HackRF, LimeSDR, bladeRF, Hermes Lite 2, PlutoSDR firmware — open hardware, permissive licenses.
- USRP / UHD driver — open source (GPLv3); Ettus hardware itself is closed.
- Transmitting — most countries restrict transmission to licensed users on licensed bands. ISM bands (433/868/915 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz) are mostly free with power limits. Amateur bands require a license. Cellular / public-safety bands are illegal to transmit on without authorization. Use a dummy load when learning.
Pick this if…
- General hacking / experimentation: HackRF One (+ PortaPack for portable).
- Cheapest TX learning rig: PlutoSDR ($230).
- Cellular / LTE / 5G research: bladeRF 2.0 micro xA9 or USRP.
- Academic / paper-grade work: USRP B210.
- Open-hardware HF ham rig: Hermes Lite 2.
- FT8 starter kit, $90: QRP Labs QDX.
- Real ham radio that happens to be SDR: Icom IC-7300 (closed but excellent).