Previously, I introduced <a href=using a digital TV stick on Mac to receive Software Defined Radio (SDR) – listening to aviation bands for just a few dozen yuan, using the open-source software Gqrx. Today I noticed that Gqrx has been upgraded to 2.3.1, so let’s upgrade and see what new features are available.

First, upgrade MacPorts. Since the current version is MacPorts 2.2.1, I went to http://www.macports.org/install.php and downloaded MacPorts 2.3.2, which supports OS X 10.10 Yosemite. After installation, executing this in the terminal shows everything is fine. $ port -v MacPorts 2.3.2 Next, follow the documentation and type agree to accept the license agreement. $ sudo xcodebuild -license

Then you can officially install gqrx. Type $ sudo xcode-select –install $ sudo port install gqrx Next comes the long download and compilation process, which took several hours!!!

After installation, you can type gqrx in the command line to start, or find gqrx.app in Finder under Application/MacPorts/Qt4. The new version UI has slightly updated, and the long-awaited Squelch feature is finally released. This way, the noise during the intervals of ATC air traffic control conversations can be filtered out. Really nice.

Let’s check the input settings again. Turn on Hardware AGC and increase the LNA gain. This way, even weak signal stations can be heard clearly.

Tune the frequency to the aviation band, then fine-tune the Squelch. Finally, I found that -32dBFS works quite well (signal strength varies, so individual adjustment is needed). When there is no conversation, it is completely silent. My cheap digital TV stick can now achieve the effect of a professional wireless receiver!

End