Hello Everyone,
I just received my HackRF this Tuesday. As I had not ordered it under the Prototype category on KickStarter I did not receive the Antennas that Mike was sending out. Before I received my HackRF I wanted to get all the necessary cables, connectors and antennas that I would need to use with the HackRF. Disclaimer: I am adding links for items I have purchased so it’s easier for others to look up the specs and if they wish, order the parts. I am in no way affiliated with any supplier mentioned below and this is not a marketing attempt. I do not endorse any of the products mentioned below. The following is a list of items I have purchased along with the sources and spec sheets for each. I compiled this list of items based on posts by Mike on Kickstarter and searching for some stuff myself https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mossmann/hackrf-an-open-source-sdr-platform/posts/758974 Items: 1) 1) ANT 500 2) 2) Log Periodic Antenna covering frequencies from 850 MHz to 6500 MHz - http://www.wa5vjb.com/pcb-pdfs/LP8565.pdf 3) 3) Danets Yagi Antenna comes with WiFi Dongle connected - http://amzn.com/B003LLS5JI [Not designed to be specifically used with HackRF though can be modified (though not advised) to use with HackRF] 4) 4) Another Yagi Antenna for 2.4GHZ spectrum from China – Don’t have the link or specs for this one 5) 5) CONNECTOR,RF,SMA,JACK TO JACK,.STRAIGHT,GOLD PLATED - https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=153294 Spec Sheet: https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/153294.pdf *6) *Cable Assembly SMA Male to SMA Male 6 Inch RG-174 Coax Cable 50 Ohm - https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=169801 Spec Sheet: https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/169801.pdf *7) *Cable Assembly SMA Male to SMA Male 2 Foot RG-174 Coax Cable 50 Ohm - https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=153382 Spec Sheet: https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/153382.pdf *8) **Connector SMA Female Solder Right Angle Thru-Hole Gold – * *https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=145374 <https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=145374> * *Spec Sheet: https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/145374.pdf <https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/145374.pdf>* Notes: You need this Connector be able to use the Log Periodic Antenna as it does not come with any connector. The Connector needs to be soldered on. You can use other connectors but I decided to go with SMA as Mike chose them for the HackRF one. He made the switch from RP-SMA in the Jawbreaker to SMA because he felt they were better. I trust his choice, hence decided to go with SMA. *9) *Connector SMA Receptacle 0Hz to 18GHz 50Ohm Solder Straight Thru-Hole Gold - https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=145382 Spec Sheet: *https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/145382.pdf <https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/145382.pdf>* Notes: You need this Connector be able to use the Log Periodic Antenna as it does not come with any connector. The Connector needs to be soldered on. You can use other connectors but I decided to go with SMA as Mike chose them for the HackRF one. He made the switch from RP-SMA in the Jawbreaker to SMA because he felt they were better. I trust his choice, hence decided to go with SMA. *10) *Connector SMA Adapter M/M Straight Gold - https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=161294 Spec Sheet: *https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/161294.pdf <https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/161294.pdf>* * 11) SMA Male to SMA-RP Female Adapter - *http://amzn.com/B005H488Y4 I am not an RF engineer. I have been studying for my HAM exam this summer and based on the study material and what I have read I made the best judgment on purchasing these products. It is my understanding and please correct me if I am wrong that RF enthusiasts spend a good deal of money on Antennas, Connectors and Cables as these are as important as the equipment receiving and processing the signals. I have some questions for the HackRF Community and any Radio Engineers that maybe on this forum: Q1. Is there any difference between using item 8 and 9 on this list with the LPA Antenna. I ask this because I don't know much about Harmonics and this maybe something that I am confused about and have gotten totally wrong, but will using the Right Angled Connector as opposed to the straight connector make a difference in being able to use the HackRF on certain higher frequencies as mentioned in the SDR Tricks with the HackRF talk by Mike at DefCon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lgdtr7ylNY [Jump To 20:10 to see what I am talking about]. Mike was there any particular reason you used the straight connector for your prototype backers as opposed to the right angled one? See https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mossmann/hackrf-an-open-source-sdr-platform/posts/758974 I have never used the LPA so I am not sure how it should be held to get the best signal and I would like to know if it would be better to use one connector over the other? Would like to learn from other's experience. Q2. I also wanted to know if these products are high quality products based on the spec sheets I provided or if I should have purchased something else, specifically as far as these connectors and cables go. Q3. I am planning on using Item#10 with Item#5 in series with the HackRF. So to Visualize---> [HackRF>SMA Male to Male> SMA Female to Female> Whatever Antenna] I want to use this configuration as a sacrificial connector as mentioned by Mike in https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mossmann/hackrf-an-open-source-sdr-platform/posts/758974#comments so as to extend the life of the SMA Female Connector on the HackRF over 500 cycles(Mike mentioned you can get well over 500 cycles but this just increases the life even more). Will this create too much loss of signal? Note these are gold connectors. Is the signal degradation small enough to justify the use of these sacrificial connectors? Q4. I see some of the Antenna manufacturers creating these graphs of signal strength over frequency as seen in the Spec sheet for the LPA http://www.wa5vjb.com/pcb-pdfs/LP8565.pdf on page 2 and even in Mike's Presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lgdtr7ylNY Jump to [20:10] Is there a reliable way across different software platforms to create these graphs. I would really like to test the RF performance of the HackRF with different combinations of these connectors, cables and antennas. Mike would you consider making a video that shows us how to do that. This can be useful to the community as we can vet connectors, cables and antennas for performance. There are so many different versions of each available from so many different vendors that it is very difficult to weed out the bad ones. This will make it easier for everyone to calibrate and test our antennas and I am sure we will all learn something in the process. Q5. Mike this is an impressive graphic though from a different project https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1085541682/bladerf-usb-30-software-defined-radio/posts/491106 would you cover something similar to help demystify the use and creation of such graphs to help us understand Radio and calibration of our devices better? Thanks. Okay this has been a very long post and I have asked a lot of questions. I thank you for your patience and will appreciate any feedback. -- Sohil Shah. Nothing is Impossible, Never Undermine the Potential of the Human Spirit = My Life's Motto!! Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish - Steve Jobs
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