Has anybody tried aliexpress antenna distribution systems?

[Michael K]

Such as this one from Betagear?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004179001784.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.9.711e76dd3UB7gs&algo_pvid=7719dd1f-2b45-4cce-b8d1-7df1cbaa05f4&aem_p4p_detail=202303290558224176558242955840000720912&algo_exp_id=7719dd1f-2b45-4cce-b8d1-7df1cbaa05f4-4&pdp_ext_f={"sku_id"%3A"12000028298672831"}&pdp_npi=3%40dis!USD!530.34!360.63!!!!!%402102188b16800947022625021d06fe!12000028298672831!sea!CZ!741132505&curPageLogUid=gi4hnc5lEFLa&ad_pvid=202303290558224176558242955840000720912_5&ad_pvid=202303290558224176558242955840000720912_5

[JonG]

I honestly don’t recommend buying from companies that directly rip off other companies. This is an exact clone of the PSC RF Multi SMA. When the rip off needs service good luck getting someone to answer the phone. But PSC has always been a great company to work with. 

[codyman]

45 minutes ago, JonG said:

I honestly don’t recommend buying from companies that directly rip off other companies. This is an exact clone of the PSC RF Multi SMA.

Yeah if you want to be a professional sound mixer, show up to set with real professional gear, not these cheap knock offs.

[igladkiy]

I personally don't trust this soldering at all) 

[mlohninger]

To be fair, that's potting compound, and that's a common PCB board covering that 1) seals dust and water 2) is a deterrent against reverse engineering (and hiding the board) 3) provides better thermal conductivity than air. So that's not uncommon, but makes products unrepairable. The soldering is otherwise fine, as far as I can see.

 

I actually do have one of these that I purchased many years ago on a whim, but I now somewhat regret despite the low cost and don't have use for anymore. The Aliexpress copy does technically work as advertised and I have used it a couple of times successfully. I know it sounds so useful to have a small box that could split 8-way, and provide antenna power – but I now strongly think these products, (including the original PSC) just aren't worth it. They have relatively crappy, cheap and noisy RF amps, and are poorly filtered for most of our uses and easily overload/distort and there is no way of visually knowing when the units overload. I think these products are a huge potential for intermod hell, when in difficult RF environments.

 

IMHO, If the point is to have remote-able antennas in a bag setup, it makes so much more sense to purchase some passive mini-circuit splitters. If you're splitting 3 way, the loss is fine and just use some passive antennas. If you're going to 4 and beyond, I would invest money in a quality active antenna like the Lectrosonics ALP690 instead, and this way to you can overcome the loss from the splitters and cable.

 

If the point is to clean up a bag to avoid "antenna farms" and just poking two dipoles out of a bag, I think you are loosing more than gaining.

[EnotsMedia]

Wow! That is an exact rip off of the PSC…like how is this worth to make a copy of ? …how many units could they possibly sell and to who is the main user?

 

The last thing I want to cheap out on is RF distro, just too much to go wrong. I do whatever I can to reduce any RF interference and my PSC distro’s were always solid. 

5 hours ago, mlohninger said:

I know it sounds so useful to have a small box that could split 8-way, and provide antenna power – but I now strongly think these products, (including the original PSC) just aren't worth it. They have relatively crappy, cheap and noisy RF amps, and are poorly filtered for most of our uses and easily overload/distort and there is no way of visually knowing when the units overload. I think these products are a huge potential for intermod hell, when in difficult RF environments.

I used my PSC RF multi for YEARS, w/ 4 Lectro SRB’s, stuffed into a bag,  in all types of difficult RF environments. Zero RF issues and rock solid RF distribution. IMHO there isn’t a better solution for RF distribution in a bag type setup.

 

Using Mini circuits on 4 SRB’s sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.  Way too many points of failure. One or two, Sure maybe? 
 

Now I use my SL2 for ant distro and I do enjoy the ability to gain up/ down whenever needed, and I’ve also used the PSC multi in conjunction w/ the SL2 - again buried in a bag, flawless operation. 

 

+1 for PSC service, I had to send my unit in only for minor service issues and turnaround time and communication were 10/10. 

[mlohninger]

9 hours ago, EnotsMedia said:

The last thing I want to cheap out on is RF distro, just too much to go wrong. I do whatever I can to reduce any RF interference and my PSC distro’s were always solid. 

I used my PSC RF multi for YEARS, w/ 4 Lectro SRB’s, stuffed into a bag,  in all types of difficult RF environments. Zero RF issues and rock solid RF distribution. IMHO there isn’t a better solution for RF distribution in a bag type setup.

 

Using Mini circuits on 4 SRB’s sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.  Way too many points of failure. One or two, Sure maybe? 

 

I agree the PSC is a clean and easy solution.

 

But curious why you consider mini circuits a disaster waiting to happen? What points of failure? Lectrosonics themselves highly recommend them. I've never had any type of issue with them either.

 

PSC doesn't publish intermod figures or real performance measurements for their RF amp, so it's likely not going to be anything super high quality. So while it works in the right situation, it has RF weaknesses. BSRF and Zax and SD's SL2 have overload LEDs that at least show when their high gain, low power amp is being overloaded by your hop TX next to your antennas or when one talent wants to hang out next to you and your filming a scene with other actors across the pond.

[Paul F]

What bugs me about the PSC unit is that nothing is published about what it does. It's an 8-way split. What does it do to the signal? I.e.  a signal of xdb in produces an output of what? Does it return the signal back to its original level on an 8-way split? Is that a good thing? From what Larry has said, don't add RF gain unless you have to for long coax runs. So why would I want an 8-way split if I have a 4 receiver setup?  Splitting the RF 8 ways and them amplifying it never seemed like a good idea for setups with fewer receivers. But then, I don't know dick about RF, so hopefully, someone who really knows what these boxes do can enlighten me.

 

Agreed. I don't see anything wrong inside that box. The wires are nicely glued down for predictable performance. Maybe they should have used coax for the BNC runs?

[vin]

not just this PSC unit, but i have heard about sharkfin antennas also copied, seems it is the Shure ones. Some people here bought it (thinking they were getting a good deal) and it did not work too well for them. Apart from these, even the Sanken COS11 had been copied and made available on aliexpress kind of sites. 

 

-vin