“RSP1A” Clone
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Rawdon, who writes:
Hi Thomas
I was browsing through AliExpress and came across a cloned version of the SDRplay RSP1A, the price being asked is slightly lower than the genuine version from SDRplay. I notified SDRplay of what I found. They pointed out that as it is a clone it is unlikely to work with any of their software.
You may like to notify readers of this because it really amounts to a scam.
The AliExpress advert can be seen here:
I do own the genuine RSP1A and yes it lives up to the positive reviews out in internet land.
Thanks for the work you put in to SWLing.com there’s always something interesting to read.
73s
Paul Rawdon
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Paul! Yes, this is a blatant fake RSP1A clone and, as you say, only a few dollars cheaper than the real thing. I suppose the manufacturer is simply hoping the buyer doesn’t realize it’s fake.
If you’re interested in purchasing an SDRplay product, go directly to their website and purchase from an authorized distributor. Not only will it carry a warranty, but you’ll know it will work with SDRplay’s SDRuno app.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” stated Oscar Wilde, but this might not apply to the high-tech world.
UK law (where the SDRplays and I are from) is very strict on this sort of thing. I hope they are able to get HMRC to seize some of these things entering the UK. I don’t know the innards of the products, but a locked FPGA incorporated into the design would be able to put 99.9% of attempted cloners off the scent! FPGAs are in the heart of most latest generation SDR rigs, including the IC-7300 and the yet-to-be shipped Elecraft K4.
[although there are reports that some Xilinx and Altera FPGAs have been hacked past the so-called security]
Selling it as a generic MSi-based SDR is fine, but using the SDRplay brand is wrong and shouldn’t be happening.