As of 2022 there are many badly performing clones on the market. V2/3GHz NanoVNA uses parts like ADF4350 and AD8342 which are costly and clones have been cutting costs by using salvaged or reject parts.
See official store and look for V2 Plus4/V2 Plus4 Pro versions only to avoid getting a bad clone. We have stopped selling V2.2 versions since October 2020, so all V2 hardware that are not Plus or Plus4 are not made by us and we can not guarantee performance.
On Amazon, there are some "NanoVNA V2 Plus4" models for sale. The pictures look good, and the price is as expected ($230). One is sold by "Seesi" and the other is sold by "AURSINC". Are these authentic and of good quality? I would prefer to buy on Amazon because delivery is very quick, but I do not want a bad knockoff.
You can select Fedex shipping on our Tindie store for fast delivery. Thanks
I had the exact same concern after buying an version from Amazon and when it arrived it was a knock off. Of course I returned it, another beauty of Amazon. So I ordered one from Tindie, standard shipping. $29 for Fex X shipping seemed just to high. But today I got my shipping notice and they shipped it Fex X anyway. I will post how long it take to get to me, but I am excited to have the real thing.
Thanks for your response, and it is reassuring because I did end up ordering one from Tindie. BTW, I did end up paying the extra for FedEx because I am a new ham and impatient, and the product was $30 more on Amazon anyhow.
I liked everything I read about the HCXQS group, and am also excited to get the device. Regarding knock-offs, it seemed odd that on the HCXQS website, they seem to be OK with some of the clones (of the older version) and even specify which software version to use.
The earliest V2_2 design, cloning was permissible, until one vendor made moves that forced us to close source later designs. We've just been made aware that vendor is now breaking the law by copying our V2 Plus circuit design, which was never publicly released and no permission was ever given for commercial use, in their recent products. Despite that, users have reported these products perform worse than our earliest V2 design: https://nanorfe.com/images/clone_comparison_new.png
If you would like to support the original developers, you can help us by mentioning and linking to our website (nanorfe.com) in blog posts, YouTube videos, or forums where appropriate. Some YouTube channels are putting affiliate links in their video descriptions which link to clones, like this channel ( https://www.youtube.com/c/AndreasSpiess/videos ) , we would like some help to convince them to change the links. You can also help spread the word about our latest VNA6000 which reaches the performance of professional VNAs while being much more portable. VNA6000 has a more healthy margin than earlier products, and helps us survive despite all the clones. Unfortunately it is becoming clear that the low prices are not sustainable and we may soon have to raise the prices of V2 series.
Thanks
Thank you for the information, and for explaining how cloning was permissible in the older designs.
I will do what I can to guide people towards getting authenticate high quality products from the original developers at the official store, and warning them about clones.
The website nanorfe.com is very good. But on the page https://nanorfe.com/nanovna-v2-software.html the warning at the top was not 100% clear to me. I think it should say (if this is true) that non-clone V2 Plus4 / V2 Plus4 Pro are *only* sold at the official store.
For the US market, it would be nice to have a US distributor to avoid having to wait for overseas shipping and the time to go through customs, but I understand this would add more cost.
done deal, my comment is in (i.e. "this channel") :-)
On 9/15/2022 12:51 AM, nanov2support wrote:
Mark Libner,
FYI, I just got my NanoVNA V2 Plus4,
The timeline is I ordered it on Sep 13, FedEx physically got it around Sep 17, it went through some Chinese cities until it reached Japan on Sep 22, and I received it today on Sep 23.
It was packed very well and I am excited to start playing with it.
Hi Gene,
I ordered mine on September 14 and it arrived on the 28th. The tracking I was given on line was excellent. It bounced around a few sites in China until it departed for the US. It took two days to make it across the big pond to Chicago and then two more days to get to my house. All in all, I think I paid $5 for shipping and it took 14 days. No extra taxes required.
Opening up the unit to put in a battery showed me why everyone should buy from the original site. Yes costs more but the build quality is outstanding. Many times better than the clone.
Thanks everyone for your inputs and comments.
Regards, mark
I ordered from Amazon, arriving tomorrow (Monday, Sep. 26, 2022)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099Z9J7ZC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I ordered a tinySA from their store on Amazon, and it's not a clone, so I'm hoping the NanoVNA V2 Plus4 I ordered isn't a clone.
I've searched around briefly, and haven't been able to find out how to tell if you bought a clone.
73,
Dave - AI6K
I ordered mine from Tindie on 9/23, from the tracking, looks like it bounced around China for a few days and is now in-transit (looks like by air) from China to the US.
Remaining hopeful 😊 – but I still need to 3-d print the N-connector strain-relief case anyway – probably gonna start that today.
Will report receipt and/or issues.
73!
Clay
N7QNM
(Eastern WA State)
Don’t forget that you will need to source a battery locally. I had to go
to a vape shop.
On Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 1:32 AM N7QNM <n7qnm@n7qnm.net> wrote:
You guys want 16850 li-po cells go to Batteryhookup.com They have the
REAL Samsung and others that are NOT heaters or chineese "JUNK" cells.
Yes, I have bought over $100 worth. Order a large amount as shipping is
fixed until you go over ~ 10lbs and then it goes up slightly.
Mike C.
On 9/27/2022 9:45 PM, Bob W0EG wrote:
The 16850 cells sold at Batteries Plus don’t fit. They have the protection
circuitry built in so the cell is too long. The nanoVNA V2 plus4 has the
protection circuitry onboard.
On Wed, Sep 28, 2022 at 5:38 AM Mike C. <mg@mgte.com> wrote:
I ordered what is claimed to be a Samsung 35E from 18650BatteryStore.com, and after about a day it is shipping via USPS. I don't know if the cell is legit, and it appears it is not always easy to detect clones. I guess this is the modern marketplace.
I was careful to buy "flat top" rather than "button" as flat top are about 65 mm and the buttons about 70 mm. I measured the battery holder in the nanoVNA and it was about 62 mm (with no battery inserted). The 70 mm cell would never fit. I would have preferred a battery with protection circuits, but I'm not sure I had that option, and the nanoVNA should provide protection.
Frankly I don't know if I really need a battery as I expect to always use the PC application rather than the 4" screen, but there might be a time when I really want portable operation.
Pop out the short holder and stick one that fits, works for me. It's
always better to be protected using the 18650 w/big top.
Mike C.
On 9/29/2022 12:37 PM, Gene Schroeder wrote:
I just received my battery and V2 today – ordered from Tindie on 9/23, not bad shipping. I had the same issue with the battery <sigh>
73!
Clay
N7QNM
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