[Test-Equipment] tek 491?

[J. Forster]

I know from previous posts you are looking for a cheap <$300 SA. If I had a choice, I'd look for a Tek 7603 and a 7L12 PI, which will take you to 1800 MHz and has a decent bottom end. They may be a bit more than the 491, but are better suited. The 7L13 and 14 are later versions with
digital storage, and are more expensive.

The reason I'd stay away from the 491 is that it is primarily a microwave analyzer and may not lock up real well at HF. My REAL gripe with it is that the first LO is a pencil tube, as I remember, and can be REAL problems.

Another choice if you are strong and have space might be an AIL /Eaton 707, 727, or 757. They are often cheap and are built out of pretty stock parts, so can be fixed.

Another possible is the HP 141 with the appropriate PIs, although I don't like them much. I'd stay away from HPs older than the 141. The 141 has accessories like a digital marker and tracking preselector, but that's getting expensive again.

FWIW,
-John

Eugene Hertz wrote:

> hi there. I see in specs that the 491 spectrum analyzer has a range starting at 10Mhz. Does anyone know what the real usable bottom limit is for this SA? I would imagine that 10mhz is the lowest center freq. I am new to spectrum analyzers but would like something that can cover HF
>
> thanks!
> Eugene