Seeed Studio RF Explorer ISM Combo Plus - Slim

Short story form is that if you have a need to analyze transmissions in the RF Spectrum, I highly recommend this device or one of the many other models created by the same company. For specifics, read on!In my initial research, I was concerned that this product being comparatively cheap as it was and coming from such a small operation, would be an underperformer. Reading a few reviews I ultimately decided to take the plunge. I compared several models, and seeing the cost difference between the several base and combo models, I chose the 6G Combo as it covers all the frequencies included in other models with what I consider to be a small increase in price for all this coverage. I have not been disappointed. This model (6G Combo) has the capability to analyze signals in the 15-2700 MHz as well as 4800-6100 MHz which covers both WiFi bands as well as cellular (3G, 4G, LTE), broadcast television, radio, cable television, bluetooth, RFID and MANY others with the proper antenna or adapter. The user interface is very simple and intuitive, allowing for you to learn as little or as much about the device's specific functions while still being able to use it for whatever purpose you may deem necessary.Upon arrival, I found the box to contain the RF Explorer unit, a handy case and three antennas. The included antennas are a helical whip tuned for 2.4GHz WiFi, a short rubber duck tuned for 5GHz WiFi, and a nagoya telescopic tuned for 144-430Mhz. These antennas will give you ample 360° reception in the specified bands and will work quite well for most people buying the unit. If you need to read signals other than WiFi or the lower ISM bands, you will need to search for other antennas for your specific frequency. I ultimately purchased an dipole LTE antenna covering 700-2600MHz (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U7QAFAW/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_13) which quite nicely picks up Cellular traffic and outperforms the bundled 2.4GHz antenna for WiFi signal reception. I also purchaed two additional 2.4/5GHz Wifi antennas with increased sensitivity that were better suited for my primary application.Using the product for site surveys (or anything else) is very easy. There is a built in function that will easily allow you to view the activity at the center frequency of each channel, which makes channel selection a breeze. I personally prefer the spectrum analyzer mode as this allows me to see all the traffic across a 20 or 40 MHz channel at once and more easily identify interference. For basic operation, you really only need to know how to change the frequencies. This is accomplished by the 7 buttons on the front of the device (return, menu, enter, and up/down/left/right arrows). Changing the selected frequencies requires using the arrow buttons to navigate to the upper or lower frequency selection, pressing enter and using the up/down arrows to change the numbers. Looking for WiFi signals, I use a start frequency of 2400MHZ and a stop frequency of 2475MHz which covers all 11 channels available for use in the United states, plus a little more than 10MHz on either side to catch the activity across the full 20MHz for channels 1 and 11. Using this screen will not only allow you to see channel utilization, but also identify frequencies that are creating interference. Using this product I was able to figure out that my wireless keyboard and mouse were causing the problems I was experiencing with WiFi on my tablet and change the Wifi channel.The official website for this and all other models is rf-explorer.com and contains all the support, software, firmware updates, equipment overviews and tutorials, as well as links to their partner store that sells accessories. I have posted a few queries on the support forum, and I was very surprised to see a response from the creator of the device in all cases. Responses usually come within 24 hours, which I think is amazing. Looking at the history of firmware updates, I see a steady stream of user requested features being added, beta tested and released in stable form over the course of a few weeks. Needless to say I am quite impressed with not only the quality, but speed of these updates.With a product significantly more useful than more expensive brands, and the service, I don't think you can pass this unit up.

I needed confirmation that a Wi-Fi client device was only operating on specific 5 GHz Wi-Fi DFS channels/widths (and not on other DFS channels/widths). A Wi-Fi packet sniffer was not conclusive (and only caused more questions to be raised). Within a couple of minutes of turning this device on, I had the definitive answer.A tiny bit awkward to actually use, but the benefits of such a small hand-held device makes up for that.TIP: Skim the manual BEFORE turning on the device. I am glad I did -- because there is this huge warning in the middle of the manual (of all places; why not on page one) to never turn the device on without first attaching antennas. If you do, the warning says you will damage the device. Also, manual makes it clear that when the device is connected to USB, it will only charge when the power switch is in the ON position (did not expect that). Thankfully, there is a battery menu page that provides percent charged and a large "charging" message.

For an RF frequency spectrum analyzer this kit is a great value and it works very well. I bought the kit that functions from VHF up to 5 GHz, which is the top end but the device is generally the same no matter what model you buy and what frequencies you need to check on.I used it to identify what regular channels or transmissions might interfere with a multi wireless microphone setup in a church. It helped me identify the possible interference frequencies and then identify the corresponding channels in the wireless equipment and then selected channels in the wireless system as far from the potential problem spots as possible. Also I posted what channels to absolutely avoid in case someone messes with the settings later.My only concern is the battery charger and battery life. I am going to do a test to document the discharge rate and curve to see if it is performing as it should be. If there is an issue I will amend this review with that information.The device paid for itself with one project and I can be sure that I have the wireless system set up for the best performance and least amount of interference instead of just setting it up and hoping it is optimized without being able to see the RF spectrum usage.

This was purchased to sweep the 900mhz and 2ghz bands. Fast boot up and ease of use allows for quick analysis of selected frequencies. Comes with a nice carry case and selection of antennas.

Works fantastic! When used in conjunction with the software, you can see very detailed and accurate RF information. I work for a professional AV company and this tool is very useful when setting frequencies on wireless microphones.

Affordable, portable, and relatively easy to use to manage and view the RF spectrum. Great for problem solving everything from microphones to WiFi to garage door openers, etc. If you need RF help get this.

I purchased this about 2 years ago and it (Signal generator and Spectrum Analyzer) have worked great. Many of the bad reviews I have seen are not accurate. This is a tool for use by an expert or someone who knows RF, this is not a tool for the unskilled.I am pleased with the device.