I currently have an RTL-SDR V4. I've attached the included dipole antenna to the outside of the anti-theft mesh, and connected the antenna and mesh with a cable for shortwave listening. The performance seems okay; when propagation is good, I can receive some on the 20m and 15m bands (when the electric car downstairs hasn't started charging), and I can also receive some European and American radio stations using FT8 (although there are strong 20m band interference, which causes broadcasts to appear in the amateur band – I don't understand the principle?).
Currently, I want to improve my shortwave reception performance, but I'm not sure whether the bottleneck lies in the receiver or the antenna. My current location is on a higher floor.(4F)It's not very tall, and there are also some buildings nearby.(10F)Blocking. Upgrading the receiver means buying an RSP1, which I've heard has good shortwave performance, but I don't know how much better it is than my current V4. If I upgrade the antenna, I might buy something like a K180 and extend it out the window.