Coax Switches Quality Of, and Experience With ?

[BOBRR]

Hi,

Trying to decide on a coax antenna switch.

Receive only, up to the vhf/uhf ranges.

Amazing how many outside the U.S. "knockoffs" are available now.
Wouldn't surprise me if even the "quality" ones like Diamond and Alpha Delta
are made there, likely in the same factory.

Anyway,

The Diamond 3 Port coax switch is around $95, and i need two.
Will probably do it, but...

Anyone have any experience with:

Anteena
Fumei
Harvest

or the pushbutton ones from Steren ?

Again, receive only.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[ridgescan]

I run Alpha Delta switches here. Two Delta-2s and one Delta-4. Everything Alpha Delta offers is made in the USA. The Delta-2s have been perfect and I've had them since 2009. The Delta-4, when I first got it, had one of the internal contact tangs come loose after about 5 switching attempts. But after sending it back to them and receiving it back fixed, it's been flawless. Bought that one in 2011.

 

[AC9BX]

For receive only one's priorities can change from switches needed for transmit. Generally you don't worry about high isolation. It's okay if a little signal leaks between ports. High isolation is still a good thing but nothing breaks unlike transmitting, sending transmit power into a radio sitting in receive, assuming it's 2 radios and 1 antenna, is very bad. Small leakage between 2 receive antennas may push directional patterns out of wack by some small undetectable percentage.
Obviously the power rating no longer matters.
So perhaps longevity becomes the primary focus. This doesn't mean by default the cheapo switch fits that bill. And yeah it may well be the same factory producing the top brand is also producing the knock-off.
I like Alpha Delta. I suspect something like Jetstream would be just fine. N connectors for way up in frequency, UHF (SO239) connectors for VHF and lower. Some are identical, Jetstream and MFJ and others are the exact same OEM switch, different name stamped on it.