I've made a lot of projects based on the NRF24l01 radio modules. They are a really neat way to send data from one Arduino to another. If you're new to this, there's plenty of YouTube tutorials on this topic. In the past I've ordered them from eBay. Every time I've ordered a batch, it seems like they are consistently inconsistent. One time the leads on the crystals weren't trimmed, and when I soldered them onto my PCB they were rubbing on a capacitor. It took me a good 4-6 hours of troubleshooting to figure this out. Another time I got a batch of radios and I figured out that the range was piddly unless I used a 100uF capacitor instead of the 47uF cap that I'd been using on the 3.3V supply. Again, this cost me another whole day of troubleshooting! These are just a few examples. This is why I was on the lookout for a source of NRF24L01 modules other than eBay.

This is not intended to be a commercial for these radio modules. I would have saved myself countless hours of troubleshooting if I'd come across these radios a long time ago, so I wanted so spread the word. I didn't get a sponsorship or any compensation for this.

I was browsing LCSC and came across these radio modules. They look exactly like the cheap NRF24L01 radios that you can get just about anywhere, but they don't use the NRF24L01 chip. Yet they look exactly like the NRF24L01, so I ordered some of them and tried them out. Their datasheet is in Chinese, so it was a total experiment. It was a success on all measures. They do  everything exactly the same as the NRF24L01, but better. They are pin for pin compatible, and they seem to work with the RF24 library exactly the same as the original NRF24L01. They are reliable, consistent, and did I mention their range is a LOT better? I've tested the range up to about 400 feet, with a not quite clear line of sight. For this test I had the high gain antenna version on the receiving end, and one of the regular NRF24L01 look alike on the transmitting end. I believe the one with an antenna has a power amplifier that can be enabled through code, but I have not tried this myself. I recommend using a 100uF capacitor on the 3.3V supply, just the same as the original NRF24L01. I also recommend using a separate 3.3V supply, rather than using the Arduino's 3.3V supply. 

A company that I've never heard of called AI-Thinker Makes these nice modules. They come in three different versions:

NF-01-S or LCSC part number C135576. 

This one looks exactly like the NRF24L01's from the rest of the internet.

NF-03 or LCSC part number C115101

This is a surface mounted version!!! It's about 1/4th the height and half the overall size of the NRF24L01.

NF-02-PA or LCSC part number C503578

This one has a power amplifier and a surface mounted antenna. I suspect you could get something like a half mile or more of range using a pair of these!

For more cool projects and gadgets, check out my website at www.boltind.com

I have a neat combat robotics remote controller based on this radio and an embedded Arduino!