[R-390] test equipment question

[Mike Andrews W5EGO]

On Sun, Feb 15, 2009 at 05:50:35PM -0600, Tom Frobase wrote:
> I have a couple, the Texscan, which I could never find much information 
> for, has been the old standby.  I use a 8640 HP most of the time.  I did 
> have a Wavetek in the past, both the Wavetek and the Texscan have scope 
> connections which make them easy to use.  About 10 years ago there were 
> a lot of sweepers on the surplus market.  I guess that was back when we 
> still made things in the US.  I would vote for the Wavetek, they are 
> relatively easy to fix if they have not been molested ... tom, N3LLL
> 
> *http://tinyurl.com/d8ymo8  Here is one on Ebay for $10 ....*
> 
> David C. Hallam wrote:
> > OK, I will extend this thread.
> >
> > I need a sweep generator.  I would like to have a HP 8601A but they seem 
> > to be going for a little more than I want to pay given my limited use 
> > for one.  About 60 MHz is as high as I need it to go but that rules out 
> > a simple function generator as 20 MHz seems to be their limit.  I think 
> > I want something better than an old TV sweep generator.

I cheat. I use a ramp generator to drive the DC modulation input on the
FM side of my 8640B, monitor it with my SDR-IQ while I tweak the knobs
until the sweep starts and ends where I want it to, and use that to
sweep out filters, IF transformers (455 KC and above, anyway), and other
stuff. The SDR-IQ shows filter and IF response Just Fine, once I move it
to the DUT output.

If I were rich, I'd have a spectrum analyzer with tracking generator,   
but I'm not, and I use what I have.                                     

-- 
Mike Andrews, W5EGO
mikea at mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin