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Antenna Distro

Shure UA844+SWB Antenna Distro

A compact and reliable antenna splitter for smaller Shure wireless deployments, the UA844+SWB distributes one antenna pair to four receivers while providing DC power to in-line antenna amplifiers. It is a great fit for rigs with up to four PSM or ULX-D receivers that need shared antenna distribution. If you need more than four outputs, step up to the UA845+SWB.

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Photos

Manufacturer product photography — the drawn faceplate stays true to panel layout; these show the hardware itself.

Photo: Shure1 / 2
Documented outputs
1010 destination connections
Documented inputs
3Based on documented inputs
Rack space
1UBuilder checks available rail space
Power draw
10W48W documented maximum
Catalog estimate
~$587Use retailer rows for current price and stock

01 · What it does—and what that changes in your rig.

Product overview

Start with the payoff, then work through how it functions, where it fits, and the details that change a real build.

The payoff

Antenna Distro decisions, organized around the whole rig.

The UA844+SWB is Shure's wideband active antenna splitter, and its job is straightforward: take one pair of antennas and feed them to up to four receivers simultaneously. In an IEM or wireless mic rig, running a separate antenna to every receiver is a cable nightmare and a placement compromise. This unit solves that by letting you position a single A/B antenna pair optimally — on a boom at stage lip, on a stand at FOH — and then distribute that clean signal back to each receiver in the rack. At one rackspace and 1.6 kg, it fits without drama.

Documented outputs
1010 destination connections
Documented inputs
3Based on documented inputs
Rack space
1UBuilder checks available rail space
Shure UA844+SWB Antenna Distro — rear panel with antenna BNC distribution and IEC power
Photo: Shure1U · 10W
Function

How it works in the path

Ten watts of draw is negligible on any conditioned power strip. The more practically significant spec is the four-out-per-side topology: two BNC inputs, eight BNC outputs, all on the rear panel. The active circuitry compensates for the split loss so receivers see a healthy signal level rather than a divided one, and the unit passes DC bias to power in-line antenna amplifiers like the UA834 — meaning you don't need a separate power run to a remote amp when you're pushing antennas a long cable run away. At 230 mm deep it's a standard shallow-rack depth, so it won't fight you in a tight tour pack.

Best fit

Where it earns its place in the rack

If your rig runs four or fewer Shure wireless channels — PSM300, PSM900, ULX-D, or similar — this is the natural, well-proven choice. It's designed around Shure's own ecosystem, so compatibility is a non-issue. Where it stops making sense is when you cross the four-receiver threshold: the catalog record itself points to the UA845+SWB for larger deployments, and trying to daisy-chain two UA844s introduces complexity that the larger unit handles cleanly. It also won't do you much good if your receivers are non-Shure and require a different impedance or connector standard — verify compatibility before committing.

In the rack

Details worth deciding before load-in.

  • Run your antenna cables to the inputs first and confirm signal presence on each receiver before patching audio — a bad BNC at the distro input kills all four channels at once, so catching it early saves the soundcheck.
  • When using a remote in-line amp like the UA834, route DC bias through this unit's BNC outputs rather than adding a separate power supply; the UA844+SWB is designed to carry that bias down the coax, keeping your cable count down.
  • Place this unit directly above or below your receivers in the rack so BNC patch cables from the outputs stay short and tidy — long BNC runs between the distro and receivers inside the rack are unnecessary and add connectors that can work loose on the road.
  • Label the A-side and B-side output ports with the receiver slot they feed before the rig ships; swapped antenna connections are a silent problem that only shows up as range dropouts mid-show.

02 · Know the whole path before you buy.

Signal path

Learn the route as a block diagram: source, product function, transport, and destination. Select any block to see what enters, what changes, and what leaves.

Interactive block diagramAuto-looping · hover, focus, or tap to hold a stage
Port-type signalProduct functionSystem boundary
Follow one signal from source to destination

Each block answers the same three questions: what arrives, what changes here, and what leaves.

01 · Source · selected
01 · Source

3 documented inputs

bnc + dc barrel

Arrives as
3 documented inputs
Connector
bnc + dc barrel
Signal
antenna

03 · What this product asks of the rest of the system.

Compatibility

Treat connector names as the start of the check—not the answer. These are the boundaries that determine a complete working path.

Best fit · Antenna Distro

Use it when 1U and 172 mm of depth fit the case.

Plan the companion path

Complete the path with upstream and downstream gear that matches connector, direction, signal type, protocol, and wiring standard.

Connector boundary

Documented connectors: bnc, dc barrel. Match connector, direction, and signal type—not shape alone.

04 · Every connector, grouped by job.

I/O ports

Switch the product view and the documented port inventory updates with it—hardware and data stay side by side.

Every connector, grouped by job.

Switch panels to keep the hardware view and the documented port list in sync.

Front panel
Rear panel
All documented ports for Shure UA844+SWB Antenna Distro
PortPanelConnectorDirectionSignalChannels
ANTENNA Arearbnc inputantenna—
ANTENNA Brearbnc inputantenna—
RF OUTPUT A1rearbnc outputantenna—
RF OUTPUT A2rearbnc outputantenna—
RF OUTPUT A3rearbnc outputantenna—
RF OUTPUT A4rearbnc outputantenna—
RF OUTPUT B1rearbnc outputantenna—
RF OUTPUT B2rearbnc outputantenna—
RF OUTPUT B3rearbnc outputantenna—
RF OUTPUT B4rearbnc outputantenna—
POWER INreardc barrel inputpower—
CASCADE Arearbnc outputantenna—
CASCADE Brearbnc outputantenna—
POWER OUT 1reardc barrel bidirectionalpower—
POWER OUT 2reardc barrel bidirectionalpower—
POWER OUT 3reardc barrel bidirectionalpower—
POWER OUT 4reardc barrel bidirectionalpower—

Showing 17 of 17 documented physical ports. Scroll to review the remaining rows.

05 · Compare the decision, not just the price.

Alternatives

The rows are organized around fit, power, I/O, and system role so a cheaper unit cannot hide a more expensive workflow.

Compare
Shure UA844+SWB Antenna Distro — front panel
Shure PA411 Antenna Combiner — front panel
Shure UA221 passive antenna splitter — Y-block with three BNC ports
Shure UA845UWB Antenna Distro — front panel
Fit📐 1U📐 1U · half-rack📐 Outside rack📐 1U
Power⚡ 10W⚡ 5W⚡ Unverified⚡ 12W
Weight⚖️ 3.6 lb⚖️ 2.0 lb⚖️ 0.4 lb⚖️ 4.0 lb
I/O🔌 17🔌 7🔌 3🔌 18
Estimate💵 ~$587💵 ~$880💵 ~$197💵 ~$1,170
Deep diveCurrent selectionFull comparison →Full comparison →Full comparison →

06 · Resolve the questions that can change the purchase or build plan.

Planning questions

Short, source-backed answers surface rack fit, power, cabling, and connection details before they become surprises.

How will the Shure UA844+SWB Antenna Distro affect rack fit and case depth?

It occupies 1U. Its documented depth is 172 mm.

How much power does the Shure UA844+SWB Antenna Distro draw?

Typical draw is 10W and documented maximum draw is 48W.

What connections does the Shure UA844+SWB Antenna Distro have?

17 documented physical ports, including ANTENNA A, ANTENNA B, RF OUTPUT A1, RF OUTPUT A2, RF OUTPUT A3, RF OUTPUT A4.

07 · See this unit inside a real rack plan.

Builder preview

Placement is only the start. Builder checks space · depth · weight, power headroom, dependencies, and compatible signal paths around this exact catalog item.Open in Builder
UA844+SWB Antenna Distro positioned in a rack planA simplified plan shows the unit taking 1 rack units, with its documented connection path continuing to a planned destination.ShureUA844+SWBCONNECTED GEARnext signal destination1U · 172 mm deep

08 · Related gear, in the order you may need it.

Shure UA845UWB Antenna Distro — front panel

Antenna Distro

Shure UA845UWB Antenna Distro

1U · 18 ports · ~$1,170
RF Venue DISTRO9 HDR — 1U front panel with power switch and status LED

Antenna Distro

RF Venue DISTRO9 HDR Antenna Distro

2U · 12 ports · ~$2,039
Shure PA421B Antenna Combiner — front panel

Antenna Distro

Shure PA421B Antenna Combiner

1U · 13 ports · ~$2,195
Shure PA821B eight-input PSM antenna combiner — front and rear panels shown

Antenna Distro

Shure PA821B Antenna Combiner

1U · 13 ports · ~$5,240
RF Venue COMBINE4 — front panel

Antenna Distro

RF Venue COMBINE4 Antenna Combiner

1U · 10 ports · ~$849
RF Venue COMBINE8 — 1U front panel with eight channel LEDs

Antenna Distro

RF Venue COMBINE8 Antenna Combiner

1U · 10 ports · ~$1,999

Planning guides for antenna distro systems.

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