RTL SDR: Running gqrx on OSX

This post is long overdue. Mid-2012, some ubernerds were poking around some cheap Realtek RTL2832U based USB TV tuners and discovered they could use GNU Radio to receive and demodulate a much wider frequency range than the device was designed for. I saw a Reddit post referencing the breakthrough and got really excited over the idea of a Software Defined Radio for the average dude. I subscribed to the new subreddit, /r/RTLSDR, and ordered an ezcap DVB-TFM DAB on DealExtreme.

I received the ezcap and, like many before me, had no clue where to start. I grabbed a Raspberry Pi and installed GNU Radio since I knew that was Step 1. Then I started compiling other people's projects with mixed results. All I wanted (to start) was an easy to use GUI with a few demodulation options and maybe a waterfall. Through searching I found gqrx. This software meets everything I wanted and more. The RPi is not exactly known for being a workhorse; and demodulating a FM signal and showing the waterfall for a 1MHz bandwidth brought it to its knees. If only something existed for OSX, an easy solution to implement on my MacBook. If only...

it does! A hero named Elias Oenal went into an older version of gqrx and ported it to OSX. It doesn't get any easier than this. Download gqrx_8.dmg, install it, plug in the ezcap, enjoy!



Bonus pic: talking to myself.

gqrx on crunchbang on a M6400 receiving an AM signal being broadcast from the Arduino