Do not buy cheap non-Chinese GPS modules from China - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Illusionist
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 07:13:42 pm
content: Yeah well, I knew it was a risk ordering u-blox modules from AliExpress.I bought a NEO-M6N board and a NEO-M8N board, mostly because I wanted to pull the modules and reuse the PCB for a real NEO-M8T. That didn't go so well, but the point is...Both modules were big, fat fakes.The NEO-6 was in fact a NEO-5, relabeled (or put under a real NEO-6 can).The NEO-8, which was a lot more expensive (all of £6) , appeared genuine when talked to. Unfortunately the module was missing the rather important Winbond flash memory chip when I took a peek under the lid.

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 07:32:32 pm
content: Isn't there any way you can file a complaint and get your money back?

author: Illusionist
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 08:00:57 pm
content: I got a refund from AliExpress for the first one after I reported it as a fake and sent screenshots of the debug.I've just asked for one on the M8N... let's see.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 08:16:42 pm
content: Also keep an eye on the firmware rev you get, some modules come with years old firmware that cannot be updated using U-blox tools because the extra FLASH memory IC is not present inside. See Voltlog #146 below, it's just a cheaper module PCB with no extra memory there, so no F/W upgrades possible.Other low cost modules, some issues with the antenna LNA or pcb design is crap, signal strength did not make sense:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/microcontrollers/gy-neo6mv2-no-fix/msg2242341/#msg2242341

author: worsthorse
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 08:28:03 pm
content: Ublox sells the NEO-M8N for $15.00 in 100 piece quantities. The single piece price is $25.00 at digikey ($15 each if you buy 100). Legit M8N evaluation boards come with low end prices beginning at $40.00.So why are people surprised about getting fake (or, more likely, retrieved from a dumpster) parts when they pay $8.00 to a nameless vendor halfway around the world for something that costs at least twice that, even with decent volume pricing, from a reliable distributor?

author: Illusionist
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 08:58:19 pm
content: Quote from: wch on May 19, 2019, 08:28:03 pmI wasn't actually surprised, even if the optimist in me tried to be hopeful. If I was a betting man I would have put money on them not being the real thing.I'm currently seeking a ~300W 48V SMPS. Given my budget, it's either a 15 year old one NOS from a reputable brand, or a new one from China. Guess which is winning...

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 09:07:19 pm
content: It should be more like "do not buynon-ChineseGPS modules from China" --- you're far more likely to get real product if you buy MTK GPS instead. u-blox is not Chinese.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 09:18:13 pm
content: Quote from: Illusionist on May 19, 2019, 08:58:19 pmMeanwell EPP-300-48 for $60?(That's Mouser's price, you can probably get them cheaper elsewhere.)I would be curious about the alternatives you are considering. Found the Meanwell units to generally provide really decent quality, and hard-to-beat prices.

author: Illusionist
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 09:24:34 pm
content: Quote from: amyk on May 19, 2019, 09:07:19 pmFair point - I'll bear that in mind. I've reflected that in the thread title.

author: worsthorse
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 09:50:09 pm
content: Quote from: Illusionist on May 19, 2019, 08:58:19 pmAh, okay. The lottery ticket approach.My experience with buying older test equipment, power supplies and the like has generally been pretty good, at least with the long standing brand name manufacturers. The trade off is you have to be willing to maintain and repair your gear. Almost everything on my bench is at least fifteen years old. Some of it is much older. None of it I could afford to purchase new. When I do take a hit it is usually because I am not careful to ask questions or the price is way lower than it should be for what it is I am buying.

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 10:23:25 pm
content: Yeah, I've bought things cheap with the expectation that if I got lucky it would work and if it didn't work I had not thrown away too much money. It's like buying something at a yard sale which is sold as-is.Many years ago, in one of visits to China, I bought a Dremel tool very cheaply. Later I discovered it was a fake and I remember having a sort of conversation with myself arguing both sides:- How could you think it was real?- Well, it could have been a really good purchase if it was- Yeah but it wasn't- Well, it still works ok so it wasn't such a bad purchase after all...Many years later I still have it and it still works fine.

author: janoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2019, 10:28:40 pm
content: BTW, if you have done a bit of homework, you would have found tons of Youtube videos about these fake/relabeled u-blox modules from China.For ex. this one:It is not a new problem.