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Re: [RFI] Noise - where do I start?

To: rfi@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [RFI] Noise - where do I start?
From: Cortland Richmond <ka5s@earthlink.net>
Reply-to: ka5s@earthlink.net
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2016 13:10:33 -0400
List-post: <rfi@contesting.com">mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
On 9/25/2016 1:31 PM, JW via RFI wrote:
Can you put the Spec An into Zero span mode and use Line Trigger?

Back in the days of the open air EMC test site, when numerous ambient TV and radio signals had to be worked around, it was quite common to sync the spectrum analyzer to the line frequency and see the 59.94Hz-modulated NTSC color signals crawling along on the screen.

It's sometimes helpful to look directly at interfering emissions in the time domain. When I'm using an employer's shielded chamber, I can cascade preamps connected to an antenna and use [my employers] 6 GHz oscilloscope to examine the RF waveform directly. If you ever have to sniff around for a *particular* SMPS, knowing what the waveform looks like means you can use a scope with a loop antenna on it to pinpoint the source.

Outside of a shielded room receiver IF outputs can be used if a 'scope has the frequency response, or amplified a little and detected detector to feed an AF scope. This can be quite a bit more fuss to walk around with than a VR-500 or another handheld receiver, but I've used an ICOM ICR-7000 and an AOR AR5000- powered from 7AH AGM batteries; these days I'd use one of the high AH lithium packs sold as emergency starting batteries.

Handheld and battery-operated scopes are also available now that weren't in years past, but really, this elaborate a setup should probably be run from a platform on the front passenger seat and powered from the car's electrical system. The advantage to walking around with something really portable is that you don't have to keep your eyes on the road. One trick: Turn off the AGC on the receiver to use a true RMS meter across a speaker, headphones or auxiliary audio output resistive load.

This impresses the audience more if you've calibrated the setup against a known-accurate signal generator.


Cortland
KA5S

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