Getting Started

Getting Started: hear your first station

What you need

• M5Stack Tab5
• RTL-SDR Blog V4
• USB connection from the Tab5 USB Host port to the SDR
• A suitable antenna for what you want to receive
• A microSD card if you want saved data or recordings

Before you turn it on

Connect the RTL-SDR Blog V4 to the Tab5 USB Host port and attach an antenna. For your first listen, an FM antenna or the antenna that came with the SDR is enough if you are near a strong local station.

First listen

1. Power on the Tab5. The splash screen brings up saved settings and the SDR host.
2. Wait for Ready, then tap OrcSDR to arrive at Home.
3. Open FM Radio.
4. Use Seek + or Seek − to find a station, or enter a frequency you know.
5. Raise the header volume. When you can hear the station and see a peak on the spectrum, OrcSDR is working.

A good first test

Use FM Radio first. A local FM broadcast station is the quickest way to confirm the screen, SDR, audio, tuning, and spectrum all work together.

Need to install or update firmware?

Start with the project's release page. Keep the SDR unplugged while flashing, then reconnect it to the USB Host port afterward. Native ESP-IDF is the supported firmware path; PlatformIO is not supported.

M5Burner publishes the Tab5's P4 application. The internal C6 needs matching ESP-Hosted firmware installed separately through M5Burner; a P4 application update does not update the C6. For normal OrcSDR upgrades, do not erase—this preserves device settings and saved Wi-Fi profiles.

A note about antennas

The included or nearest antenna is rarely ideal for every band. Use an FM antenna for FM, a 1090 MHz antenna for ADS-B, and an antenna matched to your local LoRa band for LoRa. Better placement and antenna choice usually matter more than changing settings.