[NLRS] Test equipment for a newbie?

[Zack Widup]

I'd say what you really need to start out is a power meter of some sort and
a frequency counter of some sort. You don't need a spectrum analyzer or
anything like the W6PQL frequency marker.

For years I used this power meter:

http://www.sonic.net/%7En6gn/hr88/a2/article2.html

The power meter is Figure 4 and the calibration curve is Figure 5. This is
remarkably accurate as compared to an HP435B power meter, which I later
acquired. This is very simple to build. I built one right on a BNC connector
and another on an SMA connector.

I built a frequency counter using the ICM7216DIPI frequency counter chip,
which was once easy to ger but may be more difficult now. Adding an extra
few stages of counters enables it to count to 10 GHz.
You can also use a radio such as the Yaesu VX-6R which has a receiver that
tunes to 999 MHz as an indicator of power on a certain frequency. Maybe a
cruder frequency meter but useful.

You can add equipment as you gain experience, but the power meter is the
most useful thing I've found so far.

73, Zack W9SZ
On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 9:41 AM, David Palm <thepalmhq at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> Hello all,
>
> As a follow-up to my question yesterday asking for books/resources to learn
> more about SHF, I'd like to ask your opinion on the most important and
> useful test equipment.  I have just finished stuffing the LO and
> transverter
> boards for the W1GHZ transverter on 902 MHz.  I bought parts for the 902,
> 1296, 2403, and 3456 transverters.  But now I'm faced with the problem that
> I have no way to check these out!  I'm forced to ship them off to a fellow
> ham who has access to a spectrum analyzer and signal source.  I'd rather be
> able to do more of that myself.
>
> So.......
>
> What do you consider to be the absolutely essential test equipment for a
> ham
> who wants to do some building in the UHF and SHF bands?  Confirmation and
> suggestions on the most bang for the buck on these pieces of equipment
> would
> be helpful:
>
> * Signal source:  W6QPL's microwave marker?  Other?
>
> * Power meter:  Bird 43 with various slugs?  W1GHZ's "all-band power
> meter"?  Other?
>
> * Spectrum analyzer:  Expensive (!) but I've had some good correspondence
> with WB9LYH about the "poor man's spectrum analyzer" designs out there.
> Anybody else had experience with this?
>
> * Other "must have" test equipment?
>
> Thanks and 73,
>
> David  W9HQ
> ______________________________________________________________
> NLRS mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/nlrs
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:NLRS at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>