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I want to make an android application that will receive basic data transmitted from a RF Link Transmitter (https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10535?). I want to know first off if it is possible to somehow control what frequency you can receive a signal on.

Steve Kuo
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Mark Y.
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  • 'These wireless transmitters work with our 315MHz receivers'. It explicitly says '315MHz'. 'Both the transmitter and receiver work at common frequencies and don't have IDs.'. It's a transmitter in a can - it's not going to be exactly easy to change the frequency band. You would probably have to open the encapsulation and change a surface-mount xtal. So, effectively, no. – Martin James Oct 07 '12 at 22:33
  • Also - running lemming-like towards 'off-topic' for SO. Try http://electronics.stackexchange.com/ – Martin James Oct 07 '12 at 22:34

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I want to know first off if it is possible to somehow control what frequency you can receive a signal on.

Generally, no. Android is an operating system. It is not hardware. Specifically, it is not a software-defined radio (SDR) receiver. In principle, Android could power a device that had SDR capabilities, but Android itself has nothing related to SDR, certainly at the SDK level. Or, Android could power a device that happens to have a suitable 315MHz receiver, but your general off-the-shelf Android device probably does not have such a receiver, and the OS does not have anything specific for that sort of receiver.

CommonsWare
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    That clears things up for me thanks, so I'm thinking if I did want to receive data transmitted from one of these transmitters I would have make an add on piece of hardware. Probably using the Accessory Development Kit and possibly some sort of micro controller like an Arduino that connects directly to a phone and can receive whatever data on whatever frequency assuming I work with it to be an SDR, on top of another assumption that is possible. Thanks for the answer! – Mark Y. Oct 22 '12 at 13:19