HackRF from Ebay (China)

[Lord of nothing]

The "Genuine" one cost 300€ 
I saw an Ebay offer for 142,84€ with on Shipping and the Chinese know how to declare items for the custom. 
So is there any downside of the Ebay offer?
THX 

[Pinkus]

The copy did not have to invest time and money and brain for developing it, nor will they bring anything new with new developments or enhancements. They are just stealing other peoples work. Think about this when supporting copy clones.

[Lord of nothing]

If the Guy who invent it would shipp it from China to I would buy the Genuine one but 150€ MORE for it an huge amount of money from me. Its 1/4 of the Money who I have for living per Month  .

[Bicurico]

You need to add customs and waiting time to the Chinese offer.

Also, some users posted that the Chinese clones use fake or otherwise worse components.

The hardware and software is actually open source so this time the Chinese are not doing anything wrong.

Regards,
Vitor

[cdev]

When I last surfed the Chinese HackRF community web site (years ago) they had all sorts of info in Chinese. (which you can read the most effectively using Chromium in auto translate mode or Google Translate)  There was all sorts of interesting stuff there, actually. Same goes for the Chinese ham community's web sites. They are worth looking for and reading.

Clearly the genuine article as far as tech skills and user enthusiasm.

As far as buying a Chinese-made HackRF, you should ask on the HackRF mailing list, likely they would know if they had any tech issues, even though they weren't made directly by Michael Ossmann.

Also, it would be good to do that because its quite possible he doesn't have any problem with it, and that they are decent quality. Or, they might be cheap knock offs too..   (I have no idea)

The thing buyers need to remember though is that the seller is the one who is responsible for support so if you had a problem with your particular unit, the seller is whom you would need to go to. So make sure you buy it from a seller with a good, long term reputation on the site you buy it.

Also, do you have an RTLSDR?

Don't buy a HackRF expecting it to be better than an RTLSDR in the frequency range covered by an RTLSDR.  It may well not be. (Or be so much harder to use that the RTLSDR ends up being more useful)

OTOH, if you're a security researcher, it is likely extremely useful.

Also, the potential for disappointment is much higher when you spend over a hundred Euros on something versus something that costs what a decent cup of espresso might cost you.

 If you don't already have an RTLSDR and are getting lots of use out of it, and have reached its limits, you're likely wasting your money on a HackRF.

[Lord of nothing]

When the Chinesse Declare it with 5$ the Custom ignore it.
Last Week I received an Parcel from an US Seller who declare it correct and I had to pay 9€ Tax + 10€ Handling fee. 
  I have time 2 Month are nothing for me.

I want some Wide Band SDR to see whats in the Air because there are no information about. 

[Bicurico]

Bear in mind that different coutries handle customs differently, which is why I started to post about less good experiences for the end user.

Examples:

1) Portugal (where I live): customs have been much more aggressive in the last 12 months. It doesn't matter what the seller declared - if your package gets selected for analisys (which ALL packages do now, increasing the shipping time by 1-3 weeks on average), then you need to provide: invoice, copy of payment (bank transfer, Paypal, whatever). You will be then taxed according to what you effectively paid for. Remember that giving false declarations is a criminal offense and mind you, the guy's at customs are not stupid and certainly know how to use Google, eBay and AliExpress. Only packages for which you paid less than 20 Euro (product + shipping) will be free from customs.

2) Germany: if the seller gives wrong information, the end customer MAY be lyable for trying to avoid taxes, which is a criminal offence. Also, most packages get through customs and you pay accordingly. Also, German customs seems to be very alert to missing CE logo and counterfeit products.

Just because you live in a given country, where customs are not effectively charging taxes, don't assume this is the case for other countries! Please don't be offended - I actually envy you!

Also, bear in mind that the situation can change in your country at any given time. The reason some packages don't go through customs when a lower value is declares is due to the fact that customs are understaffed for such high increase in global shopping. I bet this is a temporrary situation.

Chinese sellers try to circumvent this through tricks:

a) The shipping is done through a third country within the EU, where customs are not agressive. Example: I buy a new Adndroid smartwatch for 100 Euro. It gets sent to Switzerland (not part of the EU, but within Schengen space). No customs apply in Switzerland. Someone repacks the watch and sends it to me from Switzerland. Due to Schengen, no customs apply on arrivalt to Portugal.
Because the EU is monitoring this, the third country is always changing. Used to be Italy, but then customs intercepted those packages. Then they moved on to Switzerland, etc.

b) "EU Stores": I don't even know what that means. There are such stores in the UK and Spain, preferrably. I think Chinese found a way to get containers out of customs and hence keep small stocks in thos countries.

All of this is to circumvent EU law. It is a risk and if you score, the profit is yours. If not, you end up WAITING WEEKS to get your product, after you pay taxes:

1) In Portugal +23% VAT
2) In Portugal +12 Euro handling fee
3) In Portugal +1-X% Customs

Some countries are more affected than others: I buy from China with bigger chances of not paying customs. Deals from Singapore, Malasya, etc. ALWAYS get to customs (even evidently small or cheap packages) - I know pay attention when shopping on Ebay, that the seller is in Hongkong, Shenzen or mainland China.

Sorry for this long post.

Regards,
Vitor

[Lord of nothing]

Here is the offer: https://www.ebay.de/itm/HQ-HackRF-One-1MHz-6GHz-SDR-Platform-Software-Defined-Radio-Development-Board/282806485778?hash=item41d8948312:g:3rQAAOSwc6JaWHZb

[cdev]

RTL dongles will cost as little as $7-11 USD shipped.

There is a slightly better one which has been contracted for (from newskysz.com who is the OEM)

 by "RTL-SDR blog" their third version. Its around $20-25.

If you're just going to get one, a good argument could be made to spend a bit  more and get that one, but keep in mind that it is still an 8 bit SDR.  It can receive HF, too, sort of.

But not super well.


 The same thing applies to HackRF. Its still an 8 bit SDR. Meaning its not going to receive very weak signals well.

If you want to receive really weak signals there are much better choices.

When the Chinesse Declare it with 5$ the Custom ignore it.
Last Week I received an Parcel from an US Seller who declare it correct and I had to pay 9€ Tax + 10€ Handling fee. 
  I have time 2 Month are nothing for me.

I want some Wide Band SDR to see whats in the Air because there are no information about. 

[Lord of nothing]

2Mhz Bandwith vs. 10Mhz Bandwith. 

[Bicurico]

10MHz bandwidth makes a LOT of difference!

I have several RTL dongles and while they are fine, the bandwidth is simply too small for any DVB application or to monitor a larger chunk of the spectrum.

RTL is fine for amateur radio, when you want to monitor i.e. 144MHz-146MHz. Here it even beats the spectrum analyzer of Icom transceivers.

But having the whole FM radio band simultaneously on screen: WOW! That is a feat!

I have not suffered from any limitation of the 8 bit resolution in my applications, but of course, the more resolution, the better.

Mind you, while there are "better" solutions, they tend to increase the price tag exponentally. Add higher resolution, even bigger bandwidth and full duplex and suddenly you are looking at a four digit price tag...

Regards,
Vitor

[Lord of nothing]

Sure! 99% of the Company switch from Radio to a Cellphone.
A Simcard cost 1€ per Month and a Radio ~10€ per Month a Single Freq with unlimited Radio 5000€ per Month. 
So just company with special need use Radios thats why here is quite silent. 

[cdev]

Actually an HackRF will receive a 20 MHz wide slice of spectrum all at once.

2Mhz Bandwith vs. 10Mhz Bandwith. 

And yes, that is a LOT more data.  Also HackRF will receive up to well over 6 GHz.

But, my question is still a valid one based on the costof the RTLSDR. You could otherwise find you bought something you never used. If you like SDR, then by all means buy whatever you want. But I would get an RTLSDR first. You really cant go wrong for $7.

Some people seem to never be able to get the performance out of their HackRFs that they seemed to be expecting. Its particularly annoying when they clearly should have known better.

What it is and what it isn't.   Its not a ham rig, although it can be used as one - its not plug and play nor would it be legal to use it in that way (transmitting) without both an appropriate license and additional band pass filtration to remove harmonics.

Not a big thing for a ham to accomplish but - people need to understand the shortcomings of the device.

All that said, with both the RTLSDR, and HackRF, many people never run out of interesting things to do with them.

There are thousands of videos on Youtube about the rtl2832 dongles.. people receiving hundreds of different kinds of things.

Check them out- that will give you a much better idea of the solution space than people like me here.

[Lord of nothing]

at the moment I have 15 SDR at home. 
I got some new stuff from Canada who I have to put together for more fun stuff. 

[cdev]

Are you using a HackRF to receive/measure DVBT or DV...x,y,z.. whatever?

If so, what software do you use and are you externally clocking the HackRF?

10MHz bandwidth makes a LOT of difference!

I have several RTL dongles and while they are fine, the bandwidth is simply too small for any DVB application or to monitor a larger chunk of the spectrum.

RTL is fine for amateur radio, when you want to monitor i.e. 144MHz-146MHz. Here it even beats the spectrum analyzer of Icom transceivers.

But having the whole FM radio band simultaneously on screen: WOW! That is a feat!

Some of the performance of the HackRF which was available in the past was dependent on functionality which is no longer there, for example, adjustable IF was a good workaround to the birdies it has internally..

There is no longer any way I know of to adjust the IF.

I have not suffered from any limitation of the 8 bit resolution in my applications, but of course, the more resolution, the better.

Mind you, while there are "better" solutions, they tend to increase the price tag exponentally. Add higher resolution, even bigger bandwidth and full duplex and suddenly you are looking at a four digit price tag...

Regards,
Vitor

[cdev]

ahh..  so, you must already have an RTLSDR

at the moment I have 15 SDR at home. 
I got some new stuff from Canada who I have to put together for more fun stuff. 

[Lord of nothing]

no not just one. 

[cdev]

So, it sounds like you know what you're doing, then.

[Lord of nothing]

  I never got an cheap HackRF from China. 

[stj]

the cost of a wideband antenna and mounting kit adds a lot to the cost!

[Lord of nothing]

Discone Antenna?

[Teledog]

Just got a HackRF One from eBay ($179 CDN, no tax, free shipping from Toronto, ON).
Came with a laser cut acrylic enclosure, 3 antennas, TCXO module & USB cable.
Tried it with the Android tablet (RF Analyzer), RX seems good (eats battery, suggest Y power cable)
Testing it more with Gqrx/Ubuntu ..Rx seems swell, haven't tried Tx yet.
Be careful installing some of the HackRF packages on Linux, not always compatible!
So far, so good! 

Edit: Seller https://www.ebay.ca/itm/2017-HackRF-One-1-MHz-to-6-GHz-SDR-Platform-Software-Defined-Radio/232602107935?hash=item36282a801f:g:vocAAOSwhsBaOO8n  But they've upped the price since my purchase :-(

[Lord of nothing]

Link or Ebay Offer No?

[hagster]

the cost of a wideband antenna and mounting kit adds a lot to the cost!

I have you covered for the higher end.

https://www.tindie.com/products/hagster/ultra-wideband-vivaldi-antenna-800mhz-to-6ghz/

Its not really suitiable for outdoor mounting though.

[Lord of nothing]

The start at 800Mhz up there is quite nothing realy interesting.