Jay Doscher's SDR SOLO Kit Is a 3D-Printable Four-Radio SDR Rig for the Ham on the Move

Maker Jay Doscher has unveiled his latest creation, designed for the radio enthusiast on the move: the SDR SOLO portable antenna toolkit.

"I'll be the first to admit some of my projects are a little weird — but they usually find their way to a use for some, or close enough that they can be modified for a different task," Doscher explains by way of background to the project. "This is a slightly whimsical project that started off from a random Hackaday comment (no, I won't link the comment) that seemed to worry a RTL-SDR radio would get hot enough to melt PETG plastic. I'm doubtful they could, but as a thought experiment I wondered, what about four radios?"

Thus was born the SDR SOLO Kit, a modular system that allows for up to four RTL-SDR software-defined radio receivers to be installed in a single setup — each with its own antenna. The hardware is housed in a 3D-printed cage, using PETG plastic — and while it's designed to allow passive cooling, there's space for a couple of fans at the bottom if you'd prefer to keep things on the cooler side.

Above the SDR modules is a powered USB hub, which makes wiring everything to a host machine a lot easier. "The USB hub here is a real help, given the power and connectivity is sufficient for all four SDRs," Doscher explains. "The other item here that is designed to be modular is a bracket allowing you to attach a 20×40mm aluminum extrusion for antennas. This can be unstable if you add a long section or burden with heavy antennas- so be careful and check the capacity of your tripod before using."

When everything is assembled, you've got a four-radio four-antenna setup that can be mounted to a tripod — and which, Doscher says, breaks down with nothing more than an electric screwdriver for ease of transportation and storage.

The full project write-up is available on Doscher's website; STL files and Fusion 360 CAD files are available to paid subscribers.