Multicoupler for SDR Dongles

[bg_nashville]

Is anyone using a multicoupler with their SDR dongles? If so, which one are you using? How well does it perform? Given their costs I don’t want to buy one without having real world reviews. My use is for VHF and UHF.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

What's your budget & how many SDRs are you looking to connect? There's a whole forum dedicated to multicouplers if you're looking for "real world reviews"

Splitters, Filters and Multicouplers

For discussion of all inline devices used to split, combine or amplify a receive signal. This forum is not for any bi-directional (transmit) device. Use the Amateur or Commercial Radio forums for those.

forums.radioreference.com

 

[jtwalker]

Yes I use two Stridsberg multi-couplers shared between scanners and SDR dongles. They work great. I have an 8 port connected to the antenna and then a 4 port downstream from one of the outputs of the 8 port.

 

[LJF]

I have been using a "Y" for receive only for a few years now. Works great and inexpensive. Just a SMA split.

 

[dlwtrunked]

Is anyone using a multicoupler with their SDR dongles? If so, which one are you using? How well does it perform? Given their costs I don’t want to buy one without having real world reviews. My use is for VHF and UHF.

the topic of multicouplers appears about every couple months with many long replies. Did you use search here to find those?

 

[dave3825]

I use an Electroline Eda 2800 8 port drop amp with zero issues.

Electroline 2800

Ok guys I'm joining the Electroline club, just ordered the EDA2800. Giving this a try, seemed affordable and the port isolation numbers are higher than my current splitter. Gonna feed it with my DPD/LP 9913 coax 80ft, into PAR FM and PAR 162VHFSYM. I'm hoping the +4db isn't too much for the...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[alabamarailfan]

I use an Electroline Eda 2800 8 port drop amp with zero issues.

Electroline 2800

Ok guys I'm joining the Electroline club, just ordered the EDA2800. Giving this a try, seemed affordable and the port isolation numbers are higher than my current splitter. Gonna feed it with my DPD/LP 9913 coax 80ft, into PAR FM and PAR 162VHFSYM. I'm hoping the +4db isn't too much for the...

forums.radioreference.com

I, too, have had good luck out of Electroline coupler/drop amps. I have three of them.

 

[bg_nashville]

What's your budget & how many SDRs are you looking to connect? There's a whole forum dedicated to multicouplers if you're looking for "real world reviews"

Splitters, Filters and Multicouplers

For discussion of all inline devices used to split, combine or amplify a receive signal. This forum is not for any bi-directional (transmit) device. Use the Amateur or Commercial Radio forums for those.

forums.radioreference.com

$500 or less. Four SDRPlays

 

[jtwalker]

$500 or less. Four SDRPlays

From personal experience, buy looking forward. If whatever you decide has a 4 port and a 8 port for a little more, buy the 8 port.

 

[bg_nashville]

Yes I use two Stridsberg multi-couplers shared between scanners and SDR dongles. They work great. I have an 8 port connected to the antenna and then a 4 port downstream from one of the outputs of the 8 port.

That 4-port is exactly what I am looking. Did you buy yours directly from Home

 

[jtwalker]

That 4-port is exactly what I am looking. Did you buy yours directly from Home

Yes, but it was a few years ago. Rumor has it they are having trouble keeping up with demand recently, so you may want to see what others have to say about their recent fulfillment experiences.

 

[dave3825]

Since you have 4 sdrplay, a 4 port leaves no room for expansion. An 8 port will allow 4 more sdr or scanners..

 

[PDXh0b0]

Since you have 4 sdrplay, a 4 port leaves no room for expansion. An 8 port will allow 4 more sdr or scanners..

One day imma get one of those fancy things...go from 16 antennas to maybe 10 😀

 

[bharvey2]

I have a a couple of SDRs being fed by RG6 for monitoring my local public service system. I'm just using a 75 ohm splitter. Yeah, I lose several dB but the signal is strong (despite the splitter) so it isn't an issue.

 

[bg_nashville]

Since you have 4 sdrplay, a 4 port leaves no room for expansion. An 8 port will allow 4 more sdr or scanners..

At that particular monitoring location there will be no need for further expansion. Everything that I’m not already monitoring is encrypted.

 

[PhillyFireFeed]

+1 for Electroline CATV drop amps. I have several. They work great and cost less than $50 on eBay or Amazon.

 

[BillyBuff45]

I have a stridsberg 16 port multicoupler with 4 ports feeding my 7 SDR’s. I have RG58 BNC to SMA’s that then feed into three SMA Y to 6 SDR’s. I was really worried about signal loss using the y’s but I had no other option due to my other 12 ports on the stridsberg being used. I have to say I don’t see any signal loss with the y’s. Eventually I’d like to run a separate antenna and a separate multicoupler for my SDR stuff.

 

[Ubbe]

I have to say I don’t see any signal loss with the y’s. Eventually I’d like to run a separate antenna and a separate multicoupler for my SDR stuff.

At each split it could be a 3dB loss but Stridsberg have set their gain to give more than a 3dB gain from its input to its outputs, so the multicoupler will compensate for the splitter loss. But Stridsbergs multicoupler have a high internal noise level so the lowest possible signal level to be received at its input would still be some 3dB worse than without the multicoupler in line.

/Ubbe

 

[bg_nashville]

At each split it could be a 3dB loss but Stridsberg have set their gain to give more than a 3dB gain from its input to its outputs, so the multicoupler will compensate for the splitter loss. But Stridsbergs multicoupler have a high internal noise level so the lowest possible signal level to be received at its input would still be some 3dB worse than without the multicoupler in line.

/Ubbe

I just ordered the MC204, hopefully that internal noise doesn’t cause me to lose some of the weaker distant repeaters I am currently able to receive.