The Test & Measurement Page

by Adam Farson VA7OJ/AB4OJ

 

How true this is! Nonetheless, my shack and lab are in separate rooms.

The Basics:

Every amateur radio station should be provided with the following minimal test equipment:

For the advanced Ham:

For more sophisticated station adjustment (SSB audio, modulation envelope, tones in digital modes etc.), we should add:

Now we're getting serious:

Radio amateurs who are interested in aligning and repairing their own (or their friends') radio gear may wish to go a few steps further:

For those interested in radio performance evaluation:

We have already accumulated a pretty good little RF lab here. For radio performance testing, we can add:

Won't I go broke buying all this kit?

Not necessarily! As the old saying goes. "it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good." Perhaps the greatest boon which the dot-com bust and the telecom implosion conferred on the amateur radio community (at least on those of us whose livelihood was not affected by these events) is the availability of top-quality test instruments on the second-hand and surplus market. At many hamfests, one will see such legendary makes as HP/Aglent, Tektronix, Fluke, Boonton, Systron-Donner and even Rohde & Schwarz, sometimes at pennies on the dollar.

Next, we will get into some specifics...


Educational Documents:

ABC's of Probes

Introduction to Oscilloscopes

XYZ's of Oscilloscopes

Basic Oscilloscope Features

Oscilloscope Poster

Better Measurements Using RF Signal Generators

Spectrum Analyser Basics

Agilent Spectrum Analyser Measurements & Noise

Agilent 8560E/8590E Spectrum Analysers: Comparing Power Measurements on Digitally Modulated Signals

Fundamentals of RF and Microwave Power Measurements

4 Steps for Making Better Power Measurements

Choosing the Right Power Meter and Sensor


Links:

Simple PEP Test Procedure

Absolute RF Power Measurement

Life's too short for QRP...

Noise Figure Measurement by KO4BB

Noise Power Ratio (NPR) Testing of HF Receivers

Measuring the IMD of SSB Linear Amplifiers

My friend Walter, VE7WRS' website (including Testing)

A presentation on RF Test & Measurement by Walter VE7WRS and myself at NSARC

Jeff Smith, VE1ZAC's Website including test methods & equipment

John Miles KE5FX's Website

A Brief Treatise on the Decibel by George T. Baker W5YR (SK)

Join the Radio Test Gear group!

 

Under Construction
Copyright © 2002-2009 A. Farson VA7OJ/AB4OJ. Last updated: 09/08/2010 

Click for Microsoft FrontPage site.

Hit Counter