AB9IL.net: Public KiwiSDR Lists

Written and curated by Philip Collier / AB9IL.
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Websites come and go. Some websites stay, but their features come and go. I get a kick out of webmasters who build sites focused on simple services, such as Texttools.org, which offers several quick and easy tools for processing text. One can drop a list into a blank field, sort it alphabetically, remove duplicates, change capitalization, and other useful things. Other heroes put up sites like WebSDR.org, which stay up across time spans measured in decades, steadily serving up fresh data for their visitors. Since KiwiSDR sites sometimes change IP addresses, it is smart to check a well maintained list from time to time, and note any changes for favorite servers.

KiwiSDR: 21st Century Radio for the People
A listener's handbook by and for KiwiSDR enthusiasts.

While we are on the subject of heroes, let's recognize one "tool" and anti-hero: SDR.hu, which has gone from being free (as in beer) and open (as in, "walk-ins welcome") to closed and restricted. In my humble opinion, it is silly to restrict access to only registered users. What's more, they are further restricting registrations to licensed amateur radio operators. Do they want the site to fade and die? There are many, many users who are interested in radio but not licensed. There are professionals who visit the list because it is convinient but will simply go elsewhere for the same information. Perhaps Andras Retzler, the owner of Sdr.hu, wants to rid the site of riffraff visitors. He has expressed a desire to advance amateur radio with his software and support SDRs which use it, but the logic is not strong (again, in my humble opinion). To advance amateur radio, or radio in general, develop the software, hardware, and techniques. Then get them into the hands and minds of as many people as possible, to spur usage and development.

There are alternative websites providing KiwiSDR lists, and they do update in a timely manner. Not only are the lists current, but the pages also load in about 1/3 less time! My favorite list is actually the Skywavelinux KiwiSDR Map, which is colorful, informative, updates automatically, and includes some WebSDRs too.

Here are more alternatives, with page load times averaged by Pingdom.com:

Skywavelinux SDR Map 0.64 sec !!!
Linkfanel.net        1.15 sec
VE3SUN.com           1.92 sec
KiwiSDR.com          1.32 sec
Rx-Tx.info           1.27 sec

If you like to dig up internet SDR servers on your own, and do not want to rely on a curated list, consider using a search engine to scour the internet and tell you which servers are exposed and available. Robots routinely scan websites for links to follow, cataloging phrases and more links. Some bots even check server ports and build catalogs based on services provided on those ports. First, try a Google search which will reveal plenty of KiwiSDRs:

Search Google for "KiwiSDR and Port 8073 or cut and paste this URL into your browser:
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22kiwisdr%22+%22:8073%22
Search Shodan for "KiwiSDR" or cut and paste this URL into your browser:
https://www.shodan.io/search?query=kiwisdr

With the websites and search methods given above, anyone who wishes to find freshly compiled KiwiSDR sites can find them without assistance from SDR.hu. We all can appreciate SDR.hu's past contributions to the web-based SDR phenomena and wish the people behind it the best of luck in the future. For continued access to listings, be prepared to accept new providers and be creative in raw search methodologies.



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