{
 "slug": "krakensdr",
 "name": "KrakenSDR",
 "maker": "KrakenRF",
 "category": "radio",
 "categoryLabel": "Radio & mesh",
 "status": "listed",
 "statusLabel": "Listed by maker",
 "description": "A five-channel coherent RTL-SDR on one clock, made for radio direction finding and passive radar.",
 "goodFor": "Finding where a signal is coming from, which a single SDR cannot do.",
 "youNeed": "A Raspberry Pi 4, five antennas and space to place them.",
 "tradeoff": "Expensive, and receive only.",
 "tags": [
  "Five-channel SDR",
  "Direction finding",
  "Coherent",
  "RTL-SDR"
 ],
 "price": "US$775",
 "priceShort": "$775",
 "priceFrom": null,
 "checked": "2026-09-18",
 "url": "https://gadgets.sh/devices/krakensdr/",
 "shortUrl": "https://gadgets.sh/krakensdr",
 "markdown": "https://gadgets.sh/devices/krakensdr.md",
 "image": "https://gadgets.sh/assets/krakensdr.jpg",
 "cutout": "https://gadgets.sh/assets/cutouts/krakensdr.webp",
 "shareCard": "https://gadgets.sh/og/krakensdr.jpg",
 "shops": [
  {
   "merchant": "KrakenRF",
   "label": "Order on Crowd Supply",
   "kind": "market",
   "orderable": true,
   "url": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr?utm_source=gadgets.sh&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=krakensdr&utm_content=api",
   "note": "Sold through Crowd Supply rather than the maker’s own shop."
  },
  {
   "merchant": "KrakenRF",
   "label": "Buy from KrakenRF",
   "kind": "shop",
   "orderable": true,
   "url": "https://www.krakenrf.com/product-page/krakensdr?utm_source=gadgets.sh&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=krakensdr&utm_content=api",
   "note": "in stock (schema.org InStock; Wix inventory status in_stock, preOrder false; Add to Cart present; US$749.00) at KrakenRF (maker shop, krakenrf.com) when checked on 2026-09-24."
  }
 ],
 "specs": [
  {
   "group": "Core hardware",
   "rows": [
    {
     "label": "Processor",
     "value": "Five RTL-SDR receivers sharing a single local oscillator, with coherence hardware",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    },
    {
     "label": "Display",
     "value": "None",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    },
    {
     "label": "Radio",
     "value": "24 MHz to 1766 MHz tuning range (standard R820T2 range) · 4.5 V bias tee on each port",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    },
    {
     "label": "Power",
     "value": "USB-C, 5 V at 2.4 A or more",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "group": "Details from the project page",
   "rows": [
    {
     "label": "Channels",
     "value": "Five channels, coherent-capable, all clocked to one oscillator",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    },
    {
     "label": "Synchronisation",
     "value": "Automatic coherence synchronisation in hardware, managed by the supplied Linux software",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    },
    {
     "label": "Software",
     "value": "Core DAQ and DSP software is open source and designed for a Raspberry Pi 4",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    },
    {
     "label": "Direction finding",
     "value": "Android app, free for non-commercial use",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    },
    {
     "label": "To get started",
     "value": "The unit, a USB-C cable, a 5 V 2.4 A supply and antennas",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    },
    {
     "label": "Antennas",
     "value": "A set of five magnet-mounted antennas is sold separately at US$259",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    },
    {
     "label": "Price note",
     "value": "US$775 is the version with the aluminium case, the one listed on Crowd Supply today",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "group": "Buying",
   "rows": [
    {
     "label": "Price",
     "value": "US$775 on Crowd Supply",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    },
    {
     "label": "Availability",
     "value": "In stock on the day of review",
     "source": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
    }
   ]
  }
 ],
 "docs": [
  {
   "label": "Crowd Supply project page",
   "url": "https://www.crowdsupply.com/krakenrf/krakensdr"
  },
  {
   "label": "Crowd Supply",
   "url": "https://www.crowdsupply.com"
  }
 ],
 "blueprint": {
  "openness": "closed",
  "opennessLabel": "Closed design",
  "summary": "KrakenRF publishes manuals, enclosure drawings, and 3D-printable antenna-array parts, but no schematic/PCB source for the 5-channel coherent receiver board.",
  "files": [
   {
    "kind": "manual",
    "label": "KrakenSDR Datasheet (PDF)",
    "url": "https://github.com/krakenrf/krakensdr_docs/blob/main/paper_manual/KrakenSDR%20Datasheet.pdf",
    "format": "PDF"
   },
   {
    "kind": "enclosure",
    "label": "KrakenSDR enclosure drawing (PDF)",
    "url": "https://github.com/krakenrf/krakensdr_docs/blob/main/drawings/KrakenSDR.Enclosure.Drawing.1.pdf",
    "format": "PDF"
   },
   {
    "kind": "3d-model",
    "label": "5-element antenna array arm (3D print, OBJ)",
    "url": "https://github.com/krakenrf/krakensdr_docs/blob/main/antenna_array/3DPrint_Antenna_Array_Arm.obj",
    "format": "STEP"
   },
   {
    "kind": "bom",
    "label": "Antenna array size calculator (XLSX)",
    "url": "https://github.com/krakenrf/krakensdr_docs/blob/main/antenna_array/Antenna_Array_Size_Calculator.xlsx",
    "format": "XLSX"
   }
  ],
  "repos": [
   {
    "url": "https://github.com/krakenrf/krakensdr_docs",
    "role": "docs",
    "official": true,
    "license": null,
    "stars": 199,
    "pushed": "2025-11-10"
   }
  ],
  "parts": [
   {
    "part": "R820T2 (x5, via RTL2832U front ends)",
    "role": "SDR tuner front end"
   }
  ],
  "notes": "Checked every repo in the krakenrf GitHub account (krakensdr_docs, krakensdr_doa, krakensdr_suite, gr-krakensdr, heimdall_daq_fw) — all are software (DOA algorithms, DAQ firmware/drivers) or the docs repo above; no PCB schematic for the 5-tuner coherent receiver board was found, so it is treated as closed hardware. R820T2/RTL2832U have no official manufacturer-published datasheet (Rafael Micro/Realtek do not publish public datasheets), so no link is given — omitted rather than guessed.",
  "checked": "2026-09-27"
 },
 "sourceFiles": null,
 "firmware": [
  {
   "name": "KrakenSDR Direction Finding",
   "url": "https://github.com/krakenrf/krakensdr_doa",
   "tag": "Radio Direction",
   "description": "Five-channel coherent SDR direction finding and passive radar software with real-time mapping."
  }
 ],
 "chips": [
  "r820t2",
  "rtl2832u"
 ]
}