Video example of me playing with HDSDR. I am checking some CW, SSB & AM signals using HDSDR on Windows 7 with the RTL-SDR Dongle tapped into the IF on my Yaesu FT-857D! (Easy mod)
Sources I used for tapping the IF:
http://g4hup.com/PAT.htm and then http://www.radioamatoripeligni.it/i6ibe/panadapter/panadapter.htm (Use Google Chrome so it automatically translates to English for you.)
Regarding the RTL-SDR, **please** read the Quick Start Guide here: http://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-quick-start-guide/