Getting Started — Tier 1 Desktop Miner

What you need

  • •RTL-SDR V3 or V4 dongle (~$30 online)
  • •Windows 10 or later
  • •USB 2.0 port
  • •Azimuth account (free at azimuth.day)

Where to buy hardware

  • •RTL-SDR Blog V4 (~$35, recommended) — improved front end and wide tuning range for LTE coverage. rtl-sdr.com store
  • •RTL-SDR Blog V3 (~$30, budget pick) — same store; the dipole antenna kit bundle covers everything you need to start
  • •Optional GPS receiver (~$15) — a u-blox VK-162 or similar USB GPS adds reference timing and position truth

Any RTL2832U-based dongle works, but the RTL-SDR Blog units are the most consistent performers we've tested.

Install the software

  1. Download the installer from the download page
  2. Run the Windows installer (the standalone headless daemon installer is temporarily unavailable — an updated build ships shortly)
  3. Follow the Windows installer prompts (installs as a Windows service)
  4. Note: Windows SmartScreen may warn — click "More info" → "Run anyway"

Create your account

  1. Go to azimuth.day and sign up
  2. Navigate to your dashboard
  3. Copy your API key from the dashboard settings

Run the setup wizard

Open Azimuth from the Start Menu or run azimuth-daemon --setup

Walk through 5 steps:

  1. Welcome — verify prerequisites
  2. Paste your API key and validate
  3. Name your node and set location
  4. Select your RTL-SDR device and choose gain mode
  5. Review and start mining

Verify it's working

  • ✓Dashboard shows ONLINE status
  • ✓Signal table populates within 30-60 seconds
  • ✓Points accumulate as observations submit
  • ✓Check azimuth.day/explorer to see your node

Tips

  • →Position antenna near a window
  • →AGC mode works well for most setups
  • →Enable "Start on system boot" in Settings
  • →Enable "Auto-update" to stay current