Just a little correction here guys. The code changes/fixes which were made in the OpenWebRX version that the WEB-888 uses, were not submitted to the KiwiSDR code base. It was the KiwiSDR devs that took the changes/fixes from the WEB-888 and they implemented these changes manually, themselves.
Hi @TechMindsOfficial, wanted to say thinks for this early notification for this wonderful device - its truly awesome. I did try to find you on your Discord server but it appears you have left it and its no longer has admin - do you need support there? if you rejoined do you retain owner status?
For those wondering why it's called a tf port and not an sd card slot, it's how people get around not having to purchase the license to use the SD logo. It's a trademark thing. It's exactly the same thing. Just in case anyone did have questions about that.
There are limitations too - the speed performance is not guaranteed nor is compatibility with any devices owing to the different protocols used and the chips used to interface with hardware.
@Tech minds Ahhhhhh Mr Icom Guy , noticed your voice from the RAS-B1 remote video Matt ....Small world is radio ...Another amazing video and i just received mine today in mustard coloured box from Opensource SDR. I am pairing it with Roelofs PA0RDT active HF miniwhip with a Diamond VHF whip for airband and 2m. I got mine from well established Opensource SDR store aliexpress who are respected sellers of SDR equipment including Clifford Heaths improved edition of the HackRF Take care and 73
Every time I watch one of your videos I find myself spending money ;) I'm in for one. I happen to be putting together a skimmer at the moment to use my wideband loop. It'll be great to be able to do some SWL from my couch without the window being cracked open this winter and continue to run the skimmer on multiple bands. This is going to be sweet.
Hi Matt! After viewing your video a few weeks ago I went and purchased one of this nice peaces of technology. Now, after operating it just more than a week, I would say it's as you stated in your video: It's a fantastic receiver for it's price. I am using it on a 14m circumfence loop on the top of my garage (horizontally) and I am very impressed about it. Thanks for your videos and keep on going! Best 73 Kim DG9VH
Thanks for keeping us at the bleeding edge of new product availability. I look forward to your videos. Forget the pricey KIWI and FOBOS SDRs. The WEB-888 will be on my wanted Xmas list ! Now to figure out how to best use the EXT/IO, to control RF relays. Stan
The innovative thing about the VHF reception is that the Web-888 uses _undersampling._ Think of it as direct sampling for airband, wxsats, and part of 2 meters. Potentially better performance / no frequency converter needed!
As someone with three KIWI SDR I can say the software and options are very much a clone but there is nothing wrong with that. It’s a very well thought out software. The ability to monitor up to 10 FT-8 stations is very impressive.
I got one for 231 Euros, that’s 195 pounds. Should be here by mid October. I have 2 kiwi Sdr online and I’ll use the web-888 in its place of one of the kiwis with the same web address, having 13 connections available is a huge + ! I have another antenna I intend to use that kiwi with.
I was saving to get a RX-888 very soon. This one is interesting, but I already have KiwiSDR. The only thing very very important to me, that is missing from the Kiwi, and the main reason I wanted the RX-888, is the ability to use it with SDR Console at the full bandwidth. Being able to see the entirety of the HF bands on SDR Console. It is so so much more precise and natural to navigate in SDR Console for me, but I also see the practicality of the web SDR interface. It would be wonderful to be able to have both in one. I was hoping this WEB-888 would be able to interface with SDR Console as well as have the web interface, but you didn't show that. I assume it's not possible. Is it? Otherwise I'm still gonna go for the RX-888 myself.
Great review as usual. SDR`s keep getting more pricy every day. This one clocks in at 388 or so US. And the bandwidth leaves a lot to be desired. As far as having no UHF and higher receive capability. I do like all the extra James Bond features and would probably buy it just to experiment.
Another great video and costly ... to me too! LOL! I am now torn between the KiWiSDR or this, at half the price but will it be half the perfromance? I like to buy the best I can afford as probably many people do and these sdr's appear to be what I am looking for, instead of a "radio, computer, software" setup, this is "all-in-the-box". I have the sBitXv3 which is a fantastic concept and radio but don't think it is for me and thought would be my answer, it might be too 'hackable, experimental and tinkerable' for me. Thank you.
Impressively thorough review. Thank you. Do you do an SDR comparison chart anywhere for all of the models you've covered, so we can see what features eah offers and compare models to see how to enter this field? Are there any WEB-888s online that we can log into and check out?
Ordered yesterday. After you format the sd card as fat32, do you then create a directory 'root' and put files there or just copy directly to SD? Not a Lnux guy! Roger N3RC
Great video, thank you. Bought one, received a couple of weeks ago and now steup and running! Quick question, if I may, I notice the broadcast bands ar enot labeled, do I need to add man ually or could I get a file to merge in, don't want to loose the lables already in? If you or anybode could help/point me in the right direction please, while I learn this brillaint SDR. Thank you in advance.
maybe a bit offtopic... the screwdriver seems great. If only it had a longer and magnetic head bits. I'm usually forced to use 'usual' screwdrivers as the recessed holes are to long.
One thing i didn't qyite get from the video, is how many simultaneous users you can have? I know you can have the 13 automated decoders for WSPR/FT-n, but i mean how many users listening with the web interface? I like the idea of getting one and making it available to Internet listeners, but i need to choose if i get this, or an RX-888 mated to a server with more horsepower for many simultaneous listeners...
Does this have the ability to do 20kHz wide AM 'More Bandwidth' receive mode like the Kiwis can, or are all slots just capped @ 12kHz wide filters? I notice there is no "Mode" tab in the admin page like the kiwis have (even though this is clearly a copy of JKS's firmware).
How does this compare to the Kiwi SDR most recent version you recently reviewed? Can you compare it to SDRplay units? I need to decide if upgrading from a SDR play RSP1A will be worthwhile for Hf band SWL. Also, does the software include any useful DSP static and noise reduction features or add-ons?
As someone with three kiwi SDR two of the old ones and one of the new one, I can tell you it looks like the web-888 definitely has a much faster processor as seems with how many FT-8 crawlers it can run all at the same time.
There is a nice alternate interface, called SuperSDR, and written in Python code. I haven't checked to verify new support for the Web888, but it is nice for the KiwiSDRs.
i wonder if the openwebrx server software they are using will also work with the RX888mkII, but running on a PC ofc. I think these days its all about the software for the most part as the hardware is getting so good and cheap
To be fair to RigExpert, this is more of a consumer-grade unit. The RigExpert device is meant for a much more controlled environment due to it's high sensitivity. I believe that they are pitching it at the wrong crowd, this Web-888 device is more our style. Price is more justifiable too! :-)
@@janhenkins I know, I was just being facetious ;) It made me chuckle the way this worked as described right out of the box, no interference from commercial radio, no need for a box of attenuators and careful sample rate setting to get a decent result. Weird that non consumer grade kit is so unforgiving 🤣
@@Lastaii I totally agree, which is why the Web888 is on my birthday-list, and not the Fobos! 😀At the same time I can fully see the military application of the Fobos, you want max sensitivity if you want to gather intel. I like to just have a mooch around the bands and listen out for interesting and non-controversial things, so even the Web888 is totally overkill in that situation. What I *do* like though is the ability to properly monitor 13 frequencies at the same time (timecode 11:30 onwards). I can think of a few neat things I can do with that, like (trying to set up) scheduling a BBS on HF via FT8 or JS8Call and other such shenanigans. It might not work, but it will be fun to try.
Oops no user manual (Chinese distributor). Also paper VHF specifications that drift more than my ancient superhet AM receiver. For more than £200 this is a large stick to poke in your eye 😂😂😂
Yes, it should work fine if: with WEB-888 wired to your local network and the IPAD wired to your network, or with a WiFi or Bluetooth adapter added to the WEB-888, connect the IPAD via wireless I have not tried this, but this would be my approach. Just use your IPAD browser to connect to the WEB-888 local (private) IP address. Stan
Ok, no tX. Also the frequencey range is quite limited, alas. No ADS-B ans satelittes then :( I'll keep on plaing with my HackRF. But I have to admit that I do luke the network and browser future... Hmm, maybe something for the future :)
The software is open source and available to view, so I highly doubt there would be any servers that its trying to connect to. Remember the software is fork of OpenWebRX.
Just a little correction here guys. The code changes/fixes which were made in the OpenWebRX version that the WEB-888 uses, were not submitted to the KiwiSDR code base. It was the KiwiSDR devs that took the changes/fixes from the WEB-888 and they implemented these changes manually, themselves.
Hi @TechMindsOfficial, wanted to say thinks for this early notification for this wonderful device - its truly awesome. I did try to find you on your Discord server but it appears you have left it and its no longer has admin - do you need support there? if you rejoined do you retain owner status?
For those wondering why it's called a tf port and not an sd card slot, it's how people get around not having to purchase the license to use the SD logo. It's a trademark thing. It's exactly the same thing. Just in case anyone did have questions about that.
I've always wondered this myself, but never got around to finding out. This explanation would make sense. Cheers, Matt
Thanks for the info. Can someone come up with another acronym for HDMI so developers can use that technology without purchasing that license?
There are limitations too - the speed performance is not guaranteed nor is compatibility with any devices owing to the different protocols used and the chips used to interface with hardware.
@@1crazynordlanderHDTV😂
@Tech minds Ahhhhhh Mr Icom Guy , noticed your voice from the RAS-B1 remote video Matt ....Small world is radio ...Another amazing video and i just received mine today in mustard coloured box from Opensource SDR. I am pairing it with Roelofs PA0RDT active HF miniwhip with a Diamond VHF whip for airband and 2m. I got mine from well established Opensource SDR store aliexpress who are respected sellers of SDR equipment including Clifford Heaths improved edition of the HackRF Take care and 73
Every time I watch one of your videos I find myself spending money ;)
I'm in for one. I happen to be putting together a skimmer at the moment to use my wideband loop. It'll be great to be able to do some SWL from my couch without the window being cracked open this winter and continue to run the skimmer on multiple bands. This is going to be sweet.
So true - spending the money! same here
Hi Matt!
After viewing your video a few weeks ago I went and purchased one of this nice peaces of technology. Now, after operating it just more than a week, I would say it's as you stated in your video: It's a fantastic receiver for it's price. I am using it on a 14m circumfence loop on the top of my garage (horizontally) and I am very impressed about it.
Thanks for your videos and keep on going!
Best 73
Kim
DG9VH
Thanks for keeping us at the bleeding edge of new product availability. I look forward to your videos.
Forget the pricey KIWI and FOBOS SDRs. The WEB-888 will be on my wanted Xmas list !
Now to figure out how to best use the EXT/IO, to control RF relays.
Stan
Bleeding edge. LOL
The innovative thing about the VHF reception is that the Web-888 uses _undersampling._ Think of it as direct sampling for airband, wxsats, and part of 2 meters. Potentially better performance / no frequency converter needed!
I recently bought a RX-888 and I've been very happy with it so far. This looks pretty interesting
PhantomSDR-Plus
I just received mine. Looking forward to getting this sucker installed! Thank you.
As someone with three KIWI SDR I can say the software and options are very much a clone but there is nothing wrong with that. It’s a very well thought out software.
The ability to monitor up to 10 FT-8 stations is very impressive.
Nice choice of Alpine Linux for the host! Alpine is lightweight, zero bloat, and easy to customize.
Thanks for the information on this exciting SDR receiver.
73! Have a great day!
There is a spot listening from Algeria!!!
YAY!!!!
I got one for 231 Euros, that’s 195 pounds.
Should be here by mid October.
I have 2 kiwi Sdr online and I’ll use the web-888 in its place of one of the kiwis with the same web address, having 13 connections available is a huge + !
I have another antenna I intend to use that kiwi with.
Where to but it in EU???
Black PCB's always make things work better!!!
That's a lot of functionality in a very small box!
THATS WHAT SHE SAID
This SDR would be amazing if it had full VHF and ideally also UHF. Still a great SDR receiver nevertheless. 🙂
I was saving to get a RX-888 very soon. This one is interesting, but I already have KiwiSDR. The only thing very very important to me, that is missing from the Kiwi, and the main reason I wanted the RX-888, is the ability to use it with SDR Console at the full bandwidth. Being able to see the entirety of the HF bands on SDR Console. It is so so much more precise and natural to navigate in SDR Console for me, but I also see the practicality of the web SDR interface. It would be wonderful to be able to have both in one. I was hoping this WEB-888 would be able to interface with SDR Console as well as have the web interface, but you didn't show that. I assume it's not possible. Is it? Otherwise I'm still gonna go for the RX-888 myself.
It should work with console . If it does not a quick mail to simon and im sure it will be supported ss he is approachable
Great concept. I will research more on it.
Another Great video Matt 😉🇨🇦
Glad you enjoyed it
Very nicely presented. Just gotta get one.
Great review as usual. SDR`s keep getting more pricy every day. This one clocks in at 388 or so US. And the bandwidth leaves a lot to be desired. As far as having no UHF and higher receive capability. I do like all the extra James Bond features and would probably buy it just to experiment.
Another great video and costly ... to me too! LOL! I am now torn between the KiWiSDR or this, at half the price but will it be half the perfromance? I like to buy the best I can afford as probably many people do and these sdr's appear to be what I am looking for, instead of a "radio, computer, software" setup, this is "all-in-the-box". I have the sBitXv3 which is a fantastic concept and radio but don't think it is for me and thought would be my answer, it might be too 'hackable, experimental and tinkerable' for me. Thank you.
Impressively thorough review. Thank you.
Do you do an SDR comparison chart anywhere for all of the models you've covered, so we can see what features eah offers and compare models to see how to enter this field?
Are there any WEB-888s online that we can log into and check out?
Ordered yesterday. After you format the sd card as fat32, do you then create a directory 'root' and put files there or just copy directly to SD? Not a Lnux guy!
Roger N3RC
Great video, thank you. Bought one, received a couple of weeks ago and now steup and running! Quick question, if I may, I notice the broadcast bands ar enot labeled, do I need to add man ually or could I get a file to merge in, don't want to loose the lables already in? If you or anybode could help/point me in the right direction please, while I learn this brillaint SDR. Thank you in advance.
Nice overview of the SDR, please consider reviewing an cheap SDR with Tx capability, God bless.
New HackRF video coming soon... :-) You will like it.
maybe a bit offtopic... the screwdriver seems great. If only it had a longer and magnetic head bits. I'm usually forced to use 'usual' screwdrivers as the recessed holes are to long.
Is there a list of online SDR similar to kiwi-SDR?
Would be great to give these a tryout online.
web-888.k1ra.us:8075/
Great video thanks, when switching between HF and VHF can the unit be rebooted via the GUI or it has to be done via a power cycle?
Via the GUI as shown in the video, although it might not of been too clear. So yep, an be done remotely
Not having luck bringing the link up.
One thing i didn't qyite get from the video, is how many simultaneous users you can have?
I know you can have the 13 automated decoders for WSPR/FT-n, but i mean how many users listening with the web interface?
I like the idea of getting one and making it available to Internet listeners, but i need to choose if i get this, or an RX-888 mated to a server with more horsepower for many simultaneous listeners...
@TechMindsOfficial will the software run with other SDR?
Does this have the ability to do 20kHz wide AM 'More Bandwidth' receive mode like the Kiwis can, or are all slots just capped @ 12kHz wide filters? I notice there is no "Mode" tab in the admin page like the kiwis have (even though this is clearly a copy of JKS's firmware).
Great video as usual, will there be a discount code?😊
To me the lower VHF civilian air band is ok but I like the military air band better. In the states that runs from 225 to 380mHz.
How does this compare to the Kiwi SDR most recent version you recently reviewed?
Can you compare it to SDRplay units?
I need to decide if upgrading from a SDR play RSP1A will be worthwhile for Hf band SWL.
Also, does the software include any useful DSP static and noise reduction features or add-ons?
As someone with three kiwi SDR two of the old ones and one of the new one, I can tell you it looks like the web-888 definitely has a much faster processor as seems with how many FT-8 crawlers it can run all at the same time.
One of the major problems with my KiwiSDR 2 is the lack of anything beyond a web interface.
Yes it's advertised as a web sdr, as that's the whole point, but you can use other utilities to drive it, kiwirecorder, CatSync SuperSdr ect.
There is a nice alternate interface, called SuperSDR, and written in Python code. I haven't checked to verify new support for the Web888, but it is nice for the KiwiSDRs.
i wonder if the openwebrx server software they are using will also work with the RX888mkII, but running on a PC ofc. I think these days its all about the software for the most part as the hardware is getting so good and cheap
Can you monitor three FT8 bands and get an alert when a certain callsign is spotted on one of them?
Will this receiver show up on any kiwisdr map ?
Is there another map for these receviers if not ?
RigExpert has left the chat
To be fair to RigExpert, this is more of a consumer-grade unit. The RigExpert device is meant for a much more controlled environment due to it's high sensitivity. I believe that they are pitching it at the wrong crowd, this Web-888 device is more our style. Price is more justifiable too! :-)
@@janhenkins I know, I was just being facetious ;) It made me chuckle the way this worked as described right out of the box, no interference from commercial radio, no need for a box of attenuators and careful sample rate setting to get a decent result. Weird that non consumer grade kit is so unforgiving 🤣
@@Lastaii I totally agree, which is why the Web888 is on my birthday-list, and not the Fobos! 😀At the same time I can fully see the military application of the Fobos, you want max sensitivity if you want to gather intel. I like to just have a mooch around the bands and listen out for interesting and non-controversial things, so even the Web888 is totally overkill in that situation. What I *do* like though is the ability to properly monitor 13 frequencies at the same time (timecode 11:30 onwards). I can think of a few neat things I can do with that, like (trying to set up) scheduling a BBS on HF via FT8 or JS8Call and other such shenanigans. It might not work, but it will be fun to try.
The browser view of the interface looks more like the KiwiSDR.
Thats because both of devices use OpenWebRX software. Cheers
Will this work on an Apple Mac computer if Chrome is used as the browser?
Is the fan audible?
What USB wifi devices work with this WEB-888?
I checked the link, it cost 301 Euros ?
I didn't get from the video , can you look at the whole 0-30 Mhz spectrum at once like the Kiwi ?
I showed it in the video
It's not 30MHz but 64MHz with this one, really cool...
@@Stefaon that is cool alright, what about dynamic range do you know ?
Interesting 13 people can connect with waterfall.
@@o00scorpion00o this is 16 bit system ,more than the typical SDRs as Airpsy or SDRplay
@@zach0gr much the same as the airspace hf + then.
Link to seller does not work for me….any updates to the URL, please?
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DC9VbT9
Too bad the VHF band doesn't go higher in frequency.
£200 sovs is quite a tidy price.
USB-C omg
The designers KNOW what they are doing :)
Oops no user manual (Chinese distributor).
Also paper VHF specifications that drift more than my ancient superhet AM receiver.
For more than £200 this is a large stick to poke in your eye 😂😂😂
Websdr is weird. The code isn't open source. Not sure why they won't release it.
Would this would on an iPad do you know?
Oh darn! I actually had some footage which I forgot to include showing it working on chrome on iOS! Yes is the answer :)
@@TechMindsOfficial - Great thank you, sir.
Yes, it should work fine if:
with WEB-888 wired to your local network and the IPAD wired to your network, or
with a WiFi or Bluetooth adapter added to the WEB-888, connect the IPAD via wireless
I have not tried this, but this would be my approach. Just use your IPAD browser to connect
to the WEB-888 local (private) IP address.
Stan
i want one! But is it only RX? Or also TX. I gonna rewatch the video.
Ok, no tX. Also the frequencey range is quite limited, alas. No ADS-B ans satelittes then :(
I'll keep on plaing with my HackRF. But I have to admit that I do luke the network and browser future... Hmm, maybe something for the future :)
9:55 this signal reminds me to how data is layed out on digital tapes 🙂
300 quid for rx only? i can pluto plus for that
£200 using my link and Pluto Plus doesn’t do HF. Totally different device and purposes.
0:08 HOW CAN YOU MAKE THAT THING THATS UP THERE SHOW UP (am i stupid)
SPEC button on the bottom right panel.
Has anyone done a Security Analysis to see what servers in China this thing might be trying to connect to?
The software is open source and available to view, so I highly doubt there would be any servers that its trying to connect to. Remember the software is fork of OpenWebRX.
Its got more expensive than yesterday now 302 euros, no thanks.
Still the same price at £208, hasn’t increased at all.
@TechMindsOfficial 208 pounds doesn't add up to 302 euros so no idea why it shows 302 in euros.
Wifi rooter. LOLOL
300 bucks omg no way iam out
why does it seem like these SDR devices never have transmit capability?
Good idea, websdr tx... Oh wait.
Does it work with Openwebrx? And with RX888 we saw some spurs on certain frequencies, is this solved in web888?
Watch the video
$261 😂
Cheap isn’t it!
@@TechMindsOfficialfor this much functionality, EXTREMELY!