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GopherTrunk Build Lists
Pick how you want to listen and buy exactly the parts for it. Each build below is a complete, priced shopping list — a bill of materials with picks and running totals — for one way to run GopherTrunk, the free, open-source P25/DMR/NXDN/TETRA trunking scanner. The software costs nothing; these pages cover only the hardware, from a $60 desk setup to a full rooftop base station.
Key takeaways Five complete builds: ① PC build (~$60–80, cheapest — use a computer you own), ② Raspberry Pi build (~$180–220, silent always-on), ③ outdoor base build (~$300–450, the flagship rooftop install), ④ portable build (~$120–160, field/storm-chasing), ⑤ multi-dongle build (~$180–260, wideband/multi-site). Software is free. The antenna matters more than the dongle. No build decodes encryption.
Pick your build
PC / Laptop build
~$60–80 in hardware
Run GopherTrunk on the Windows, Mac, or Linux computer you already own. Add a dongle, an antenna, and an adapter — the fastest, cheapest way to hear a trunked system today.
See the PC build →Raspberry Pi / SBC build
~$180–220
A silent, headless single-board computer that logs every call 24/7, controlled from any browser. The set-and-forget scanner that lives next to the antenna.
See the Pi build →Outdoor base station
~$300–450
The serious install: a rooftop base antenna on a mast, low-loss feedline, grounding and a lightning arrestor, and a mast-mounted LNA feeding a PC or Pi indoors. Maximum range.
See the base build →Portable build
~$120–160
A laptop or Pi, a power bank, a portable whip, and a dongle — a go-bag scanner for storm-chasing, events, and travel where there is no wall power.
See the portable build →Multi-dongle build
~$180–260
A powered USB hub, several dongles, and more compute so one GopherTrunk instance covers multiple sites or control channels at once. Room to grow into a wideband pool.
See the multi-dongle build →Compare the builds
| Build | Best for | Hardware cost | Effort | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC / laptop | Trying it, cheapest entry | ~$60–80 | Low — plug in and go | A computer you own |
| Raspberry Pi / SBC | Silent 24/7 logging | ~$180–220 | Medium — flash + configure | Dedicated Pi 5 |
| Outdoor base | Maximum range, permanent | ~$300–450 | High — rooftop install | PC or Pi indoors |
| Portable | Field, events, storms | ~$120–160 | Low — go-bag | Laptop or Pi + battery |
| Multi-dongle | Several sites/channels | ~$180–260 | Medium–high | PC or strong SBC |
Prices are hardware only and approximate — GopherTrunk is free. Every build shares the same four essentials (computer, SDR dongle, antenna, adapter); the builds differ in the computer, the antenna and mounting, and the number of receivers.
How to read each build page
Every build page gives you the same three things:
- A bill-of-materials table — numbered parts, why each is there, a linked pick, and an approximate price, with a running total. This is the shopping list.
- Pick cards — the specific products we recommend for the key parts, with buy buttons.
- Prose and a bottom line — how the parts fit together, what to skip, and what to add.
Start from the what-you-need checklist if you are brand new, then come back and pick the build that fits. Not sure which dongle or antenna to buy in the abstract? The best SDR for GopherTrunk and best SDR antenna guides rank the parts on their own.
What every build has in common
- The software is free. Download GopherTrunk, follow the hardware setup guide, enter your system’s control channel from RadioReference, and decode.
- The antenna and its height matter most. A modest dongle on a good, high antenna outperforms a premium receiver on a bad one.
- Keep RF runs short; send USB or network the long way. Coax loss climbs with frequency at the 700/800 MHz where trunked systems live.
- Nothing here decodes encryption. No SDR or scanner can break AES. Buy for the traffic that is still in the clear — usually plenty of dispatch and nearly all fire/EMS.
Bottom line
If you already own a computer, start with the PC build — about $60–80 buys the whole radio chain. Want it silent and always on? The Raspberry Pi build. Chasing maximum range from a rooftop? The outdoor base build is the flagship. Heading into the field? The portable build. Covering several sites at once? The multi-dongle build. Pick one, buy the list, and GopherTrunk does the rest — free.
Frequently asked questions
Which GopherTrunk build should I choose?
Start with the PC build if you already own a computer — it is the cheapest way to hear a trunked system, about $60–80 in hardware. Move to the Raspberry Pi build for a silent always-on scanner, the outdoor base build for serious range from a rooftop antenna, the portable build for the field, or the multi-dongle build to cover several sites or channels at once.
How much does a GopherTrunk setup cost?
GopherTrunk itself is free and open source, so you only buy hardware. A PC build runs about $60–80, a dedicated Raspberry Pi build about $180–220, a portable field rig about $120–160, a multi-dongle pool about $180–260, and a full rooftop base station about $300–450 depending on feedline length and grounding.
Do I need to buy all of these builds?
No — each build is a complete, standalone shopping list for one way to run GopherTrunk. Pick the one that matches how you want to listen. Many people start with the PC build and later add an outdoor antenna or a Raspberry Pi as they get more serious.
What is the single most important part in any build?
The antenna, followed by where you mount it. A $35 dongle on a good outdoor antenna beats an expensive receiver on a bad indoor whip every time. Spend on the antenna and feedline before you spend on the radio.
Will any of these builds decode encrypted police?
No. No SDR or scanner — and no build on this page — can decode AES-encrypted talkgroups. That is a cryptographic wall, not a hardware limit. Every build hears whatever is still transmitted in the clear, which in most areas includes plenty of dispatch and nearly all fire and EMS.