[PCR-1000] Re: PCR1000 and Optoelectronics Digital Scout questions

[Miguel Puchol]

Hi,

> You must have a faulty Scout40 then. Digi Scout at 600uV as best and
> Scout40 at 100uV as best, measured with $100.000 analyzer and proven
> with practical use which shows an even bigger difference. There's
> absolutly no doubt about who's the winner when it comes to analog
> signals.

I think you must have a faulty Digital Scout :-) Judging by Opto's own site,
one would think that the Digital Scout is more sensitive. In fact, I think
the "scanning" approach is better in some ways, as it allows for capturing
less discernible signals than by the Scout's method. I found this when I had
the Xplorer, which was capturing AM airband (around 130 MHz) transmissions
from aircraft passing some 30.000 feet above. You are more likely to ignore
a strong signal on a particular band with this method.

With filters, the differences are enormous. I don't care if the Scout 40 has
more sensibilty as measured by an instrument, I care about what it is able
to catch, and so far, the Digital Scout has won hands down. I have picked up
LPDs on the 446 MHz band (500mW) from 200-300 meters away - I could never do
this with the Scout 40.

> The Scout40 uses a "RF input pulls the oscillator" type av frequency
> counting and the Digi uses a sweeping action like a scanner which needs
> a squelch to work, and the squelch is set manually which requires
> a constant fiddling to keep it at the optimum level. Otherwise it
> will capture nothing.

I find that by setting the squelch at three bars, and using filters to keep
out commercial FM, I don't have to touch it all day. I insist, either the
Scout 40 or the Digital Scout without filters will be working 10% of their
potential.

> > Apart from this, it has a full RS-232 serial port, which means no shift
> > level converters, Optolinx, etc. are required to connect it to a PC - a
> > simple DB9 to 3.5mm plug is all that is needed (and included in the
box).
>
> We are talking about the Digi Scout? My Digi Scout have none of that.

Er....I quote from Opto's site: "Memory download and real time datalogging
using built-in RS232" (http://www.optoelectronics.com/digitalscout.htm). I
got a nice DB9 to 3.5mm connector cable with my Digital Scout, I plugged it
into the serial port, and it worked no problem. The Scout 40 does need a
shift level converter. Maybe you have to check with Opto if you don't have
such port in your Digital Scout.

Best regards,

Mike