Searched the forum and didnt see anything like this.
What equipment would you recommend to have as a good baseline or starting point for some test equipment?
Im thinking for portables and mobiles mainly - checking power output, sensitivity, etc etc.
Anyone have any thoughts to add?
Beginner Test Equipment?
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Tom in D.C.
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Re: Beginner Test Equipment?
Depends largely on how much money you have to spend. As a bare minimum I'd say a Bird model 43 wattmeter with several slugs in appropriate frequency ranges and power levels, and a very good digital VOM with an RF signal probe.
Tom in D.C.
In 1920, the U.S. Post Office Department ruled
that children may not be sent by parcel post.
In 1920, the U.S. Post Office Department ruled
that children may not be sent by parcel post.
Re: Beginner Test Equipment?
+1
A service monitor is kinda expensive for casual use. But, a good new wattmeter is less than $500, and there are many good VOM's well within personal budgets.
A service monitor is kinda expensive for casual use. But, a good new wattmeter is less than $500, and there are many good VOM's well within personal budgets.
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Andy Corbin
- Posts: 158
- Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2005 3:46 pm
Re: Beginner Test Equipment?
There are some deals to be had even for service monitors. Ramsey Com3's bring around $300 or so on Ebay. Cushman CE3's & 5's bring even less than that.
Even some of the Cushman CE50's with S/A are in the $500-$600 range. Just gotta be careful with "vintage" equipment like that.
If you don't want to go the service monitor route, a stand alone signal generator would be good. Some of the old Edison and Motorola generators go for about $50 or so.
Some sort of wattmeter, even if it isn't a Bird, some of the wide band ham meters like the Diamonds will get you pretty close in the ballpark for checking RF out and you don't need a bunch of slugs to get it.
A dummy load of at least 100 watts. These are cheap.
An oscilliscope....nice but not critical.
Some sort of receiving instrument whether its a deviation meter or what.
Temperature controlled soldering iron and some sort of solder removing scheme (solder wick, solder sucker, desoldering station).
Digital or analog multimeter
Power supply, probably no less than 20 amps regulated.
Frequency Counter
Much will depend on what you will be trying to service, AM equipment, FM, SSB, what frequency, power levels.....
Andy
W4KDN
Even some of the Cushman CE50's with S/A are in the $500-$600 range. Just gotta be careful with "vintage" equipment like that.
If you don't want to go the service monitor route, a stand alone signal generator would be good. Some of the old Edison and Motorola generators go for about $50 or so.
Some sort of wattmeter, even if it isn't a Bird, some of the wide band ham meters like the Diamonds will get you pretty close in the ballpark for checking RF out and you don't need a bunch of slugs to get it.
A dummy load of at least 100 watts. These are cheap.
An oscilliscope....nice but not critical.
Some sort of receiving instrument whether its a deviation meter or what.
Temperature controlled soldering iron and some sort of solder removing scheme (solder wick, solder sucker, desoldering station).
Digital or analog multimeter
Power supply, probably no less than 20 amps regulated.
Frequency Counter
Much will depend on what you will be trying to service, AM equipment, FM, SSB, what frequency, power levels.....
Andy
W4KDN