Which is better for listening to shortwave?

The HF Bundle. It includes the Ham It Up v1.3 upconverter, so HF works without extra parts. The Starter Kit needs a separate upconverter for shortwave.

Is the HF Bundle worth the extra $40?

Yes if you want HF. A separate upconverter and balun usually cost more than the price gap. If you only listen to VHF/UHF, the Starter Kit is enough.

Do both use the same SDR?

Yes. Both include the NESDR SMArt v5 with a 0.5PPM TCXO and the R820T2/RTL2832U chipset. The bundle adds the upconverter, pigtail and balun.

Can the Starter Kit receive HF later?

Yes, by adding an upconverter such as the Ham It Up, or by direct sampling with a modified setup. That costs extra and adds setup steps.

Which is easier to set up?

The Starter Kit. Plug in the SDR, attach an antenna and tune. The HF Bundle adds an upconverter, a pigtail cable and a balun to wire and power.

Which works better on a Raspberry Pi?

The Starter Kit. Its narrower case lets several units sit side-by-side on tightly spaced USB ports. The bundle's extra boxes take more room.

Nooelec NESDR SMArt v5 Starter Kit vs Nooelec NESDR SMArt v5 HF Bundle

Buy the Essentials Starter Kit if you mainly listen to VHF and UHF: police, aircraft, weather, FM, and 433MHz devices. Buy the HF Bundle if you want shortwave and ham HF reception out of the box. The Starter Kit is $44.95 at eBay as of November 5, 2026; the HF Bundle is $84.95 at Nooelec as of the same date, so the bundle costs about $40 more.

Today the Nooelec NESDR SMArt v5 Starter Kit costs $40.00 less at its best price.

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