We had seen a number of cadet training, colleges and universities running ad hoc "introduction to radio" courses using the RSP1A. We asked them "Why not use a cheaper dongle?" and the replies came back that they had problems with phantom signals, interfering signals and lack of repeatability. They also wanted an SDR hardware platform which would allow students, with their new found skill and interest to be able to "spin the dial" with confidence once they went off exploring the spectrum on their own.
This is an analogy I use: Imagine you are teaching geography and that maps required special hardware and interactive software in order to view them. You run a course to provide students access to these maps, and some of the students get excited and want to explore more and more maps using their new found tools. Imagine then, that many countries and cities and geological data were missing or that countries and cities and geological data appeared superimposed in the wrong places - it would be frustrating and you’d find yourself as a teacher dealing with the minutiae of such problems - worse still - you’d lose the bright yet impatient students - the likely innovators of the future….so using a $110 RSP1A instead of a £20 dongle raises your game considerably.
Jon from SDRplay (sponsors of these course materials)