Welcome to the future of online radio reception. PhantomSDR-Plus isn't just another WebSDR - it's a game-changer. Open-source, wickedly efficient, and built to handle crowds, this is the WebSDR you've been waiting for.
Dive InWelcome to the future in WebSDR technology. PhantomSDR-Plus marks a quantum leap in online radio reception, providing unparalleled power, efficiency, and ease of use for the worldwide radio amateur fraternity.
Born from passion for radio and from the need to develop what was there but not yet fully realized with WebSDR, PhantomSDR-Plus condenses the best of state-of-the-art technology with an open-source ethos, thus guaranteeing a truly next-generation platform.
Whether one is an active amateur radio user or even a curious newcomer in the hobby, PhantomSDR-Plus has something for everyone. Now let's take a closer look at what actually makes this platform so special.
The landscape has significantly been developed over the years. Contributions such as the WebSDR software, originally developed at Twente University by PA3FWM using the overlap-add method, have been one of the key highlights to the field. However, the publicly available version is extremely limited, and the more advanced 30MHz capable version remains private.
This created a field for innovations. PhantomSDR-Plus emerged as an answer to a call for a full open-source high-performance WebSDR solution open to anybody. The main point of our project was to push the limits in what is possible within WebSDR technology and keep it open for the entire community.
PhantomSDR-Plus builds upon the overlap-add method, incorporating a number of modern optimizations, and is fully committed to openness. We believe we have created something both powerful and efficient, entirely free, as well as open to be used, modified, and contributed to by anyone.
By opening up PhantomSDR-Plus and making it free for a wide array of hardware, we let users all over the world, without any strings attached, create high-quality WebSDR stations. This brings forth novelty and collaboration in return for democratizing WebSDR technology.
PhantomSDR-Plus has impressive capability in wideband reception, being able to process from advanced receivers like the RX-888 MKII up to 64 MHz of digitized spectrum (even more with stronger SDR's).
By means of the latest methodologies in digital signal processing, PhantomSDR-Plus offers impeccable reception and decoding of the most widespread modes: FM, AM, SSB, and CW.
Another strong point concerning PhantomSDR-Plus is its easy scalability with increased load from users. While classic WebSDR platforms cannot bear high counts of users, PhantomSDR-Plus shows the same performance with hundreds of users simultaneously operating it.
PhantomSDR-Plus puts modern GPU to work by accelerating the processing of the signals. Applying Fast Convolution techniques enables this platform to work efficiently and optionally offload computation to the GPU.
By embracing the most up-to-date Web technologies, PhantomSDR-Plus utilizes WebAssembly-powered decoders for digital modes like FT8. This guarantees that the decoding is extremely fast in the browser.
PhantomSDR-Plus is designed to run well on a broad spectrum of hardware, from modest setups to high-performance systems. It scales up or down the platform's functionalities to match your available resources for optimal performance in every situation.
While we acknowledge and respect the contributions of all the other WebSDR variants out there, it is relevant to understand how PhantomSDR-Plus fits in the overall picture. Here are key feature comparisons on a rather neutral basis:
| Feature | PhantomSDR-Plus | OpenWebRX | KiwiSDR | Web-888 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| User Scaling | Non-linear, stable for hundreds of users | Linear scaling, performance degrades with more users | Limited user capacity | Limited user capacity |
| Bandwidth | Limited only by Hardware | Limited | 0-30 MHz | 0-30 MHz |
| GPU Acceleration | Yes (using clFFT) | No | No | No |
| WebAssembly Decoders | Yes (FT8) | No | No (only backend) | No (only backend) |
| Development Pace | Active, near-daily updates | Less frequent updates | No huge updates | No huge updates |
| SDR Support | Universal (stdin input) | Limited to specific models | Proprietary hardware | Proprietary hardware |
| Price (HF setup) | €30 -> €300 (Varies) | Varies | ~€300 | €300 |
The given comparison underlines some special strengths of PhantomSDR-Plus, in particular regarding user scaling, GPU acceleration, and development pace. Nevertheless, each has its own merits that might be used in different scenarios.
We could talk all day about how great PhantomSDR-Plus is, but let's let the benchmarks do the talking:
Running an RX888 MKii with a whopping 32MHz Sample Rate:
Same setup, but letting the GPU flex its muscles:
Think you need a supercomputer? Think again:
PhantomSDR-Plus scales with your hardware. Upgrade your setup to unlock even more potential!
PhantomSDR-Plus is a community-driven project, and we survive by your support. If you like our work and want to see us keep pushing the limit, be our supporter by donating.
Each cent counts, and with your donation, you are enabling us to invest even more of our time and resources into further improving PhantomSDR-Plus.
Support PhantomSDR-PlusBut PhantomSDR-Plus is not just software; it's a community. A community of radio enthusiasts and innovators that pushed the boundaries of what was possible with WebSDR.
And that's just the beginning: more sites pop up all the time as people realize what PhantomSDR-Plus can do.
Lovingly crafted by the dynamic duo of magicint1337 and Z1EJ200, PhantomSDR-Plus is more than just a project - it's a labor of love.
Ready to join us? Hop on over to our GitHub, or check out the growing list of public SDRs at sdr-list.xyz.
Join the PhantomSDR-Plus Community