Just a little side note here as some of you snowflakes like to comment about the "Click bait" thumbnail. Actually, here in the UK it is illegal to intercept certain radio transmissions, and considering the wide frequency range this device covers, and the fact that it can demodulate some signals directly on the device, it "could" be abused. So, I'm just saying, don't do it..! That's all folks!!!
Whilst technically true it isn't enforced, no one has been arrested for intercepting transmissions basically since the law was made, not to mention it being impossible to detect in the first place.
I’m a self employed field engineer and have the luxury of using a range of Anritsu devices, which one of my clients supply for me to use on their sites and keep in calibration etc. However for other jobs, I have my own SA’s and VNA including Aaronia and MFJ. I use NanoVNA and TinySa, which I find read just as well for most applications as the Anritsu units. Particularly the VNA. I’ll probably buy an SA5 as it’s slightly larger and has the rotary knob. My biggest complaint with the Tiny and Nano devices is are really too small for my personal liking. Clue in the name! However, I find that every setting is a complete arse to enter with a stylus and I have to put my specs on to read the screens and menus. It would be good if someone was to develop a tinySA that has a larger display set into a case with rubber corners, buttons and a rotary knob. Along with quality N-Jacks. It would cost a fair bit more and not for everyone, but would be a good lower to mid range tool. Even better if the SA and VNA boards were incorporated into the one device and mode switchable, but still retaining separate RF connections for simplicity and cost. As far as this being a clone. My opinion, only an opinion, is that yes it’s based on the official product and references that on the case sticker, but as the code is on GitHub, I see it more as an evolution or iteration. Thanks for the video .
I just received my SA5 today... I also have the Tiny-SA Ultra but wanted the rotary knob and yes it makes navigating the menus very easy and FAST!!! I also noticed that the screen is brighter and sharper and the boot up time is also faster then the Tiny-SA.. The operational manual is a QUALITY item as mentioned, lots of details and in color.. When you look inside the build quality is first class. I am sure the builder and designer of the SA5 had permission to build this, after all he gave the original designer credit for the Tiny-SA.. In my opinion the build of the PC board in the SA5 is Superior to the SA-Tiny... I also have a Malahit DSP2 as well as a new WEB-888 receiver... The devices are so amazing what they can do in particular the WEB-888... I have high end expensive receivers like FLEX, KENWOOD and ICOM for ham radio, but how they pack so much QUALITY in a box and sell it for Hundreds not thousands of dollars beats me... Robert
I don't think for one second this product is authorized by Erik K to use his firmware. All the tinySA unauthorized clones have his name on them too, so it's not a mark of authenticity in any way. One difference I noted is that the tinySA Ultra has a max input level of +10dBm compared to the +6dBm on this one. It would have been interesting to see if the firmware preserved the test and calibration routines, and what their output is.
@@DarrenGlen I just compared my SA5 and Tiny SA. Had them both scanning 2.4 to 2.5 GHz, watching my Wi-Fi signals and I would say they are IDENTICAL in all aspects. I wanted the SA5 because of the adjustment knob, makes changing modes and functions SUPER FAST!! For $99, one cant go wrong...
I don't think this is a copy cat, a side line more likely it performs suprisingly well and has non of the short comings clones of the ultra have. Also if you go to github and see who was involved in its initial concept, I would not be surprised either it being made in the same factory or by people that work closely with the same factory. Yes Eric says he doesn't support it, but he did not say anything to who build it. Side by side with one of my ultras, using the same basic software version there is NO difference and I put it through it's paces in our commercial lab at work. The only shortcoming is that it uses an old software version and thus non of the improvements made over the last year are implemented. But. as long as the unit is used with this in mind, it is very useful and the use of an encoder instead that crappy jog switch in the original is worth to buy it.
At around 50 bucks cheaper than the TinySA Ultra, I think I may finally pull the trigger. Those of us who don't have unlimited budgets sometimes have to make decisions based on price. This looks like a nice option for less money. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for this, but not a full comparison to the TinySA Ultra, also Erik offers fantastic continued support for his devices with firmware updates when needed, he listens closely to his customers bug reports and swiftly remedies the bugs with a new firmware update, i very much doubt these knock offs would offer that at all.
It was never meant to be a direct comparison video, but you are right, I cannot even find any information from the company that makes this. The killer for me is the fact the pc software doesn't work 100%. Cheers
@@TechMindsOfficial Hi, I just found PORTXVNSA - Trademark Information on the web, the trademark has been registered under the name of SHUO ZHANG , 1906 Chet Atkins Pl, Nashville, TN 37212. I am sure the Tennessee address ist just a law firm acting on behalf of the company in China, but perhaps it helps to track the company down. (fun fact: Chet Atkins did hold a ham license with the callsing W4CGP 😃).
It actually performes just as well, with non of the short comings a lot of the ultra clones have. The only cripe I have is that the software on github refers to an older version of the ultra and has not been updated.
Source software is on github. It is a modified version of the tinysa ultra software. but quite old. I have been told there is a way to mate the newer ultra software to the encoder part but am not good enough with that crap to compile my own
I showed the only firmware differences, and the boards are totally different. What else would you like to see? Going through every single feature and showing the results would be an awfully long and boring video.
I "tuned in" to learn about the functionality of the knob... Change frequency?, set marker?, pick menu items?.... What is the function of the rotary control?
Have you see Aaronias SPECTRAN spectrum analysers and SDR offerings? I would absolutely love one of these things, though they're a little spendy... would be an awesome thing to review if you could convince them to send you one! I'd love to see your take before committing to buying one.
I’ve been using Aaronia SA for almost 15 years now. I like the quality and accuracy of the guts, but the interface and packaging on some of them are like a high school project! Funny story. I had a job in a regional council office a few years back to install a DAS. I was walking around with my Aaronia 2025e taking readings. On one of the floors, a lady spotted me and had a look of shear panic on her face. She immediately got up from her desk and ran out of the building, (stopping to pick up her belongings!) although surprised, I took no notice. Later on, I was pulled aside by the IT guy who had received an email from HR explaining that the lady had thought I was from the bomb squad and took a panic attack! It was requested that when working on their site and if walking around with technical looking bits of kit, I should perhaps look less purposeful and that I change my working attire from all black with boots and body warmer, to a less military style of dress! I wasn’t trying to dress like the bomb squad, it was just some well priced working gear from Screwfister. I took notice of the request and turned up the next day in jeans and Tshirt, along with some flowers for the easily startled lady. 😊
I do like the scroll knob/button and the (somewhat) protected SMA connectors. Overall, it looks like a nicer, more robust design than the original. Be a shame if there are software/IP copying issues though.
If you want a large screen on a VNA then check out this product I reviewed, it's the only VNA I use now and it has a large screen: ruclips.net/video/MZC9_e9erCc/видео.html
As you can see, this is a very bad clone, and at 6:45 you can clearly see that there is a lot of random spuriousness even when there is no input signal. tinySA ULTRA was designed with a lot of tests on the RF circuitry, and it shows that the clone manufacturer can't do these tests, so they can't give any guarantee on the RF performance.
Thanks for the introduction ... love the fact that it goes until 5.3GHz AND with some more measurement tolerance until 6GHz, which I need for WiFi and FPV drone signals. I don't care if it is a few dB off, but I want to see the relative signals coming in on the higher end of the 5 GHz band. 2:21 wrong, the visual part of the screen is the same size if your camara angle isn't distorting it?! Interesting that the software tells you a specific same HW version in both devices, while the HW is quite different ... looks like they did some very minor changes to the firmware and made sure the new bigger PCB is compatible ... but as you say, it is quite odd that the windows app interaction seems to be using a different routine for communication.
I was eating my Pad Thai so might have missed it, but I don't recall seeing you use the VFO once, though I did catch you stabbing the screen a lot. Did I miss it?
Hello Matt. The sellers sent me the firmware for SA5, which should work with the computer. Could you check it, as I have no opportunity. If so, where should I send the file?
I guess i got this in my suggested as I watch lotsof tech. Any developer who can make visual color meter for photographers for under $500 I'd be interested. As they currently sell for usually over several thousand dollars, i.e. the Sekonic C-7000.
China clones will always be a few bucks cheaper. Three years ago $10 ear pro looked like 3M $300 ear pro. Now they price gouged up to $250. So just enough to make people think they're saving money, but the reality is they're still getting $10 ear pro instead of $300. Tbh the TinySA feels gouged up the whazoo right now too.
If it is based on the TinySA then the "encoder" is more likely then not a simple rotary pulse switch. That way they did not had to re-invent the wheel..............Jan25 Update, I bought one. The software is not compatible with the TynySA software although it is based on a earlier vesrsion with an added optical decoder. I put it through it's paces, it is well designed and from a performance it is just as good as the original TinySA ultra I bought and never have updated the software. They track perfectly. The noise is low and it doesn't have some of the short comings the TinySA iltra clones have. One would think the unit is made in the same factory with original parts if it would not be for Eric saying he has nothing to do with it...but wait, he did not say its not made there only he doesn't support it so who knows. The board and case is larger, the battery is larger and I seet a lot less spurs with spur supression turned off. I guess a larger case and board can result in less coupling probems inside the box. Personally, I LOVE the encoder I just wish the base software would be newer with some of the new tables and algorithms deployed. But, since I do not have any equipment or need to use it above 5GHz there is no problem. I will sell one of my TinySA ultra and keep this with the other. It does more than my old HP spectrum analyzer and I can easy see signals down to -120dbm at 1GHz with the LNA on. The encoder function is a delight to use so different from the crappy and cumbersome jog switch
Its clearly a problem stretching out the board increasing trace length and introducing lots of erroneous signals and attenuating signals. The TinySA ultra was designed and built to give the user professional features like accuracy and acceptable noise that this larger knockoff did not think to offer. Its not going to be well used above 2m frequencies. Shameful knockoff that we should not support.
Just a little side note here as some of you snowflakes like to comment about the "Click bait" thumbnail. Actually, here in the UK it is illegal to intercept certain radio transmissions, and considering the wide frequency range this device covers, and the fact that it can demodulate some signals directly on the device, it "could" be abused. So, I'm just saying, don't do it..! That's all folks!!!
Most folks convicted of this in the UK were not busted by a special shock force of radio police but were busted doing other crimes
Whilst technically true it isn't enforced, no one has been arrested for intercepting transmissions basically since the law was made, not to mention it being impossible to detect in the first place.
Well, a simple SDR USB Stick plus a piece of software can do the same. 😉
The UK has some weird laws.
Like paying for tv when you only own a tv and never watch public tv.
@@pd1jdw630Well, in Austria and Germany the laws are even weirder. We have to pay for public broadcasting even if we don't own any radio or tv.
I’m a self employed field engineer and have the luxury of using a range of Anritsu devices, which one of my clients supply for me to use on their sites and keep in calibration etc.
However for other jobs, I have my own SA’s and VNA including Aaronia and MFJ. I use NanoVNA and TinySa, which I find read just as well for most applications as the Anritsu units. Particularly the VNA.
I’ll probably buy an SA5 as it’s slightly larger and has the rotary knob.
My biggest complaint with the Tiny and Nano devices is are really too small for my personal liking. Clue in the name! However, I find that every setting is a complete arse to enter with a stylus and I have to put my specs on to read the screens and menus.
It would be good if someone was to develop a tinySA that has a larger display set into a case with rubber corners, buttons and a rotary knob. Along with quality N-Jacks.
It would cost a fair bit more and not for everyone, but would be a good lower to mid range tool. Even better if the SA and VNA boards were incorporated into the one device and mode switchable, but still retaining separate RF connections for simplicity and cost.
As far as this being a clone. My opinion, only an opinion, is that yes it’s based on the official product and references that on the case sticker, but as the code is on GitHub, I see it more as an evolution or iteration. Thanks for the video .
I have an elusive electromagnetic interference issue trying to track down. Can these be used to aid that effort?
I just received my SA5 today... I also have the Tiny-SA Ultra but wanted the rotary knob and yes it makes navigating the menus very easy and FAST!!! I also noticed that the screen is brighter and sharper and the boot up time is also faster then the Tiny-SA.. The operational manual is a QUALITY item as mentioned, lots of details and in color.. When you look inside the build quality is first class. I am sure the builder and designer of the SA5 had permission to build this, after all he gave the original designer credit for the Tiny-SA.. In my opinion the build of the PC board in the SA5 is Superior to the SA-Tiny... I also have a Malahit DSP2 as well as a new WEB-888 receiver... The devices are so amazing what they can do in particular the WEB-888... I have high end expensive receivers like FLEX, KENWOOD and ICOM for ham radio, but how they pack so much QUALITY in a box and sell it for Hundreds not thousands of dollars beats me...
Robert
I don't think for one second this product is authorized by Erik K to use his firmware. All the tinySA unauthorized clones have his name on them too, so it's not a mark of authenticity in any way. One difference I noted is that the tinySA Ultra has a max input level of +10dBm compared to the +6dBm on this one. It would have been interesting to see if the firmware preserved the test and calibration routines, and what their output is.
Eric said clearly he had nothing to do with this device. So, if it is based on his device it is a clone.
Does the SA5 update the screen faster when scanning? or are they both using essentially the same CPU?
@@DarrenGlen I just compared my SA5 and Tiny SA. Had them both scanning 2.4 to 2.5 GHz, watching my Wi-Fi signals and I would say they are IDENTICAL in all aspects. I wanted the SA5 because of the adjustment knob, makes changing modes and functions SUPER FAST!! For $99, one cant go wrong...
Nice looking bit of kit. The screen seems really sharp with great contrast.
Buy the original and support the person who designed it, not the copycats.
Bring the price down then 😂
Quit charging 500 for something that costs 20 bucks then lol
Its basically open source hardware. Competition is good for economy
I don't think this is a copy cat, a side line more likely it performs suprisingly well and has non of the short comings clones of the ultra have. Also if you go to github and see who was involved in its initial concept, I would not be surprised either it being made in the same factory or by people that work closely with the same factory. Yes Eric says he doesn't support it, but he did not say anything to who build it. Side by side with one of my ultras, using the same basic software version there is NO difference and I put it through it's paces in our commercial lab at work. The only shortcoming is that it uses an old software version and thus non of the improvements made over the last year are implemented. But. as long as the unit is used with this in mind, it is very useful and the use of an encoder instead that crappy jog switch in the original is worth to buy it.
@@jbull1178 Nope it is not open source hardware, it is only open source software.
At around 50 bucks cheaper than the TinySA Ultra, I think I may finally pull the trigger. Those of us who don't have unlimited budgets sometimes have to make decisions based on price. This looks like a nice option for less money. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for this, but not a full comparison to the TinySA Ultra, also Erik offers fantastic continued support for his devices with firmware updates when needed, he listens closely to his customers bug reports and swiftly remedies the bugs with a new firmware update, i very much doubt these knock offs would offer that at all.
It was never meant to be a direct comparison video, but you are right, I cannot even find any information from the company that makes this. The killer for me is the fact the pc software doesn't work 100%. Cheers
@@TechMindsOfficial Hi, I just found PORTXVNSA - Trademark Information on the web, the trademark has been registered under the name of SHUO ZHANG , 1906 Chet Atkins Pl, Nashville, TN 37212. I am sure the Tennessee address ist just a law firm acting on behalf of the company in China, but perhaps it helps to track the company down. (fun fact: Chet Atkins did hold a ham license with the callsing W4CGP 😃).
It actually performes just as well, with non of the short comings a lot of the ultra clones have. The only cripe I have is that the software on github refers to an older version of the ultra and has not been updated.
If it makes you happy, use it. Turn knobs generally make things easier. IBM pc clones had a turn key, and their manufacturers kept pointing that out.
Did you ask seller for source code of the firmware? (which he should provide as it is required by GPL license) ... and then do diff.
Worth a try, I guess, but it's Chinese and they often don't care about things like staying legal by obeying software licences.
Source software is on github. It is a modified version of the tinysa ultra software. but quite old. I have been told there is a way to mate the newer ultra software to the encoder part but am not good enough with that crap to compile my own
make a comparission of all sdr receivers which has the lowest noise level and highest sensitivity
I second this
Same
Probably the Elad FDM-DUOr (I own the FDM-DUO, which is a transceiver, the r version is a receiver.). It has very low noise.
@kokoso1 Thanks for the suggestion, I will add it to the list that is very long :-) Thanks for watching guys, I appreciate it.
I'd love to see someone do a proper tear down of the two of them side by side.
I showed the only firmware differences, and the boards are totally different. What else would you like to see? Going through every single feature and showing the results would be an awfully long and boring video.
Excelente video , gracias !!!
i would only use it illegally in a responsible way
Same as my car driving....
I "tuned in" to learn about the functionality of the knob... Change frequency?, set marker?, pick menu items?.... What is the function of the rotary control?
Looks better than the original.
Nice video! Thanks.
The new RF Power Snitch would be a great companion device for this one (both USB-C now).
Sweet. If it came in orange I would consider buying.
Have you see Aaronias SPECTRAN spectrum analysers and SDR offerings? I would absolutely love one of these things, though they're a little spendy... would be an awesome thing to review if you could convince them to send you one! I'd love to see your take before committing to buying one.
I think it would be really understatement for saying Spectran is little spendy, lol. I was curious at the price and end up saying "oh" at the end 😂
@@alphaadhito lol! You're not wrong... Its a dream toy for me. It's the whole 9kHz to 18GHz thing that has me wanting one of their newer 'eco' models
@MrHolozip Yeh, they won't send me one... 😞
I’ve been using Aaronia SA for almost 15 years now. I like the quality and accuracy of the guts, but the interface and packaging on some of them are like a high school project!
Funny story. I had a job in a regional council office a few years back to install a DAS. I was walking around with my Aaronia 2025e taking readings. On one of the floors, a lady spotted me and had a look of shear panic on her face. She immediately got up from her desk and ran out of the building, (stopping to pick up her belongings!) although surprised, I took no notice. Later on, I was pulled aside by the IT guy who had received an email from HR explaining that the lady had thought I was from the bomb squad and took a panic attack! It was requested that when working on their site and if walking around with technical looking bits of kit, I should perhaps look less purposeful and that I change my working attire from all black with boots and body warmer, to a less military style of dress! I wasn’t trying to dress like the bomb squad, it was just some well priced working gear from Screwfister. I took notice of the request and turned up the next day in jeans and Tshirt, along with some flowers for the easily startled lady. 😊
I do like the scroll knob/button and the (somewhat) protected SMA connectors. Overall, it looks like a nicer, more robust design than the original. Be a shame if there are software/IP copying issues though.
Just like the nanoVNA, the change I REALLY want is - a bigger screen.
If you want a large screen on a VNA then check out this product I reviewed, it's the only VNA I use now and it has a large screen: ruclips.net/video/MZC9_e9erCc/видео.html
take the software, modify it for a bigger screen and then install one...should not be to hard.
As you can see, this is a very bad clone, and at 6:45 you can clearly see that there is a lot of random spuriousness even when there is no input signal. tinySA ULTRA was designed with a lot of tests on the RF circuitry, and it shows that the clone manufacturer can't do these tests, so they can't give any guarantee on the RF performance.
Thanks for the introduction ... love the fact that it goes until 5.3GHz AND with some more measurement tolerance until 6GHz, which I need for WiFi and FPV drone signals. I don't care if it is a few dB off, but I want to see the relative signals coming in on the higher end of the 5 GHz band.
2:21 wrong, the visual part of the screen is the same size if your camara angle isn't distorting it?!
Interesting that the software tells you a specific same HW version in both devices, while the HW is quite different ... looks like they did some very minor changes to the firmware and made sure the new bigger PCB is compatible ... but as you say, it is quite odd that the windows app interaction seems to be using a different routine for communication.
I said the screens look the same size! I was referring to the casing which is pretty obvious. So what's wrong?
Actually, I get what you mean. Hardly worth a comment though considering they look the same size. cheers
It would be great if these gave level readings from antenna(s)
The big knob just replaces the jog wheel so I doubt there was much in the way of different coding for it.
I disagree, the jog wheel works differently to an encoder in terms of coding.. Unless the original firmware already supported it.
I'd love to buy one of those user's manuals.
Ultra mode? thanks for posting well done.
Thank you for the overview and the detailed video. In the ultra mode, does it manage 12Ghz like the TinySA?
How can open source device have unlock code for some "ultra" features? I'll rather buy something without these obstacles.
What's in the air it's everybody's property, you need a license to broadcast but you don't need a license to receive.
I was eating my Pad Thai so might have missed it, but I don't recall seeing you use the VFO once, though I did catch you stabbing the screen a lot. Did I miss it?
I was looking for a light spectrum analyzer.
Soo which one would you prefer?
TinySA Ultra works as intended, the SA5 is glitchy with pc software, so for now, the TinySA Ultra
@@TechMindsOfficial I wonder if you could swap over their firmware so that you get the nice big knob with your favourite firmware?
Well, that depends if the original firmware supports a rotary encoder or not. As far as I can tell the original firmware only supports a jog wheel.
@@TechMindsOfficial Ah. Okay. Shame.
Hello Matt. The sellers sent me the firmware for SA5, which should work with the computer. Could you check it, as I have no opportunity. If so, where should I send the file?
Get my email from qrz or YT about page. Thanks
Thanks for the video. Can the SA5 or the TinySA be use as an USB SDR?
Unfortunately not
@@TechMindsOfficial 😟
I guess i got this in my suggested as I watch lotsof tech. Any developer who can make visual color meter for photographers for under $500 I'd be interested. As they currently sell for usually over several thousand dollars, i.e. the Sekonic C-7000.
China clones will always be a few bucks cheaper. Three years ago $10 ear pro looked like 3M $300 ear pro. Now they price gouged up to $250. So just enough to make people think they're saving money, but the reality is they're still getting $10 ear pro instead of $300. Tbh the TinySA feels gouged up the whazoo right now too.
The TinySA still costs only about 150 bucks from the authorized dealers. Although there are some clones that charge close to 300 bucks for it.
If it is based on the TinySA then the "encoder" is more likely then not a simple rotary pulse switch. That way they did not had to re-invent the wheel..............Jan25 Update, I bought one. The software is not compatible with the TynySA software although it is based on a earlier vesrsion with an added optical decoder. I put it through it's paces, it is well designed and from a performance it is just as good as the original TinySA ultra I bought and never have updated the software. They track perfectly. The noise is low and it doesn't have some of the short comings the TinySA iltra clones have. One would think the unit is made in the same factory with original parts if it would not be for Eric saying he has nothing to do with it...but wait, he did not say its not made there only he doesn't support it so who knows. The board and case is larger, the battery is larger and I seet a lot less spurs with spur supression turned off. I guess a larger case and board can result in less coupling probems inside the box.
Personally, I LOVE the encoder I just wish the base software would be newer with some of the new tables and algorithms deployed. But, since I do not have any equipment or need to use it above 5GHz there is no problem. I will sell one of my TinySA ultra and keep this with the other. It does more than my old HP spectrum analyzer and I can easy see signals down to -120dbm at 1GHz with the LNA on. The encoder function is a delight to use so different from the crappy and cumbersome jog switch
What is it used for?
I want a video on how I can use this illegally - I mean, how someone ELSE could use it that way. I, myself, would never do such a thing.
Unfortunately that's something YT TOS would not allow.
horrible. boycott this theft of intellectual property.
It’s open source, not proprietary.
nice
Yeah a shame these units dont have a larger screen
Only goes to 5.3ghz though. Why would they stop there?
Chinese Clone designed to put tiny sa put of business
That isn't going to happen if they have buggy firmware which makes the software unusable.
Its clearly a problem stretching out the board increasing trace length and introducing lots of erroneous signals and attenuating signals. The TinySA ultra was designed and built to give the user professional features like accuracy and acceptable noise that this larger knockoff did not think to offer. Its not going to be well used above 2m frequencies. Shameful knockoff that we should not support.
Looks like a clone.
Definitely a clone. Buy the original one. Too many clone ones.