This seems to have an antenna that measures field strength? Is this when one would need a dummy load?
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Is it practical to own a frequency counter?
- Thread starter Radiomatrix
- Start date
I guess I am not going to let this go until I get one but deciding what to get is the trick for a newby…. Will this be plug and play?
SF-401PLUS | SURECOM
www.surecom.com.hk
and the other model:
SF-103 | SURECOM
The SURECOM SF-103 hand-held frequency counter is a more practical counter, even advanced features such as field strength measurement are incorporated. It is compact, truly pocket sized, test instrument designed for ease of use and dependable performance. Supplied as a complete with internal...
www.surecom.com.hk
I have used the second model to get my radio on frequency. Works well for what it is!!!I guess I am not going to let this go until I get one but deciding what to get is the trick for a newby…. Will this be plug and play?
SF-401PLUS | SURECOM
and the other model:
SF-103 | SURECOM
The SURECOM SF-103 hand-held frequency counter is a more practical counter, even advanced features such as field strength measurement are incorporated. It is compact, truly pocket sized, test instrument designed for ease of use and dependable performance. Supplied as a complete with internal...
Oh sorry I should have been clear that the handhelds your looking at only sample the frequencies of over the air broadcast RF. Its like having one hooked up in-line. There is no probe connection so you can't hook it up to test points on the radio board for transmitter/receiver tuning.
Obviously, but you could connect a short probe to it with a couple pF capacitor at the probe tip.
Edit: like a handheld probe with no coax to at least verify stages
Hmm…I suppose you can but the manufacturer says not to connect anything besides an antenna to it.
I have a 2’ handheld antenna for 11m I used to connect to the counter. It’s not sensitive enough to pick up a signal if you’re using a dummy load. I used it with the radio connected to my antenna. Picked up the signal nice! Again it’s not the best way but it worked surprisingly well to get on frequency. Not bad for $55!!!
Oh dear, I think this discussion is way above my understanding. I just wanted to verify my TX freq. but it seems until I have more of an understanding of the radio language that you speak (LOL), will just have to lump it hahaha. We come in peace!!!
if you just want to verify your transmit frequency the handheld will work. If you want to service and tune radios it won't.
So i can use either model to verify tx freq. at my base station? And I won’t need anything else like a dummy load?
Ok, so this took a little bit of a turn but thats ok. The Surecom device that you were looking at will display the frequency that it is reveiving by simply receiving it as a broadcast over its antenna (no need to directly connect anything to your setup). It's like having a receiver that shows you the frequency it is listening to. As Brandon stated it will work on AM with your radio hooked to your antenna or a dummy load and you just key the radio up (no modulation). It will display the frequency. If you wanted to see what the sideband frequency is you would need to play a 1Khz tone (from your phone as an example) and play that tone through your mic. The Surecom will display the channel frequency +/- 1Khz. For instance, on channel 19 am (no audio, just a carrier) it would display 27.185. If you were on LSB and played the 1Khz tone through the mic it would display 27.184 and USB 27.186. The surecom device eliminates the need to directly connect the frequency counter to your system which is ok as well. Make sense?
Keep asking questions. That's the only way any of us learn from others......