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PortaPack H4M

A HackRF One PortaPack H4M software-defined radio build, running Mayhem firmware with a custom splash screen.

The Build

The PortaPack H4M is a companion board for the HackRF One — a wideband software-defined radio that, on its own, needs a laptop tethered to it to do much of anything. Snap on a PortaPack and it becomes a standalone handheld SDR: a touchscreen, physical controls, a battery, and a microSD slot turn it into something you can carry around and operate without a computer in sight.

Mine runs Mayhem, the community firmware most PortaPack builds use. Two apps get the most use: the Spectrum Analyzer, which renders a live FFT and waterfall of whatever band I tune to, so I can watch signal activity in real time as it happens; and Looking Glass, which sweeps a much wider slice of spectrum at once and renders it the same way — trading detail on any single frequency for a fast way to scan a huge range and spot anything transmitting before zooming back in with the Spectrum Analyzer to get a closer look.

The one personal touch I added was a custom splash screen.

PortaPack H4M photo