[Elecraft] Potential Elecraft Kit

[John, KI6WX]

One of the problems with designing and selling kits is the production 
volume.  Will enough of the kits be sold to justify the cost of developing 
the product.  I don't know if there is enough demand in amateur radio to 
justify the development cost of a spectrum analyzer.

Let me state the design specifications of a hypothetical high-performance 
HF-VHF spectrum analyzer that could be developed as a kit that would retail 
for $500.  To keep the cost down, the analyzer would use a PC for control 
and display; the control of the RF portion would be done through a USB 
interface.  The parts to do this design are available today - no great 
invention is required.

Specifications
Frequency coverage:  100 kHz to 160 MHz
Resolution bandwidth: 100 kHz to 1 Hz
Video bandwidth: 10 kHz to <1 Hz
Dynamic range:  >80 dB
Power measurement error: <1 dB
Maximum sweep speed:  10 MHz/second
Maximum input power: +20 dBm
Input noise figure: <20 dB
Windows software included for control, display, printing and saving data; 
user supplies the PC.

Option for $150
Tracking generator to make instrument into scalar network analyzer

It would take about a person-year of effort to design the hardware, write 
the software, and create manuals.  However, I think you would only sell 
about a hundred units per year.  That makes the development cost too high to 
justify the effort.

-John
 KI6WX

>
>
> Gang,
>    One of the insturments I always wanted for home use was a spectrum 
> analyzer.  Nice to have sound card analyzers with software and all, but a 
> real rf analyzer in a small, functional package would be sooooo great. 
> With some careful trade off decisions it might even be affordable!  The 
> display is a big headache if you don't have a good Oscope handy but a 
> creative designer [or two] might be able to do the job.  I suppose it 
> would not have the broad appeal of a K1, 2 or even a very compact antenna 
> tuner, but it might appeal to a few hundred hams and others who do bench 
> work.
> Wayne
> K9NE
> Yes, I know about the projects already on the web, but how many of you 
> have actually rounded up all the stuff to build that one?