[TowerTalk] TowerTalk Digest, Vol 243, Issue 20

[Lux, Jim]

On 3/28/23 10:26 AM, Wilson Lamb via TowerTalk wrote:
> The reaction time to get updated data is long and I have no idea what the strength measurements mean.  They seem related to data rate.  I did some, but really want a "swing it and watch type measurement.  Thanks,
> WL
>
>
> On Tue, 28 Mar, 2023 at 12:00 PM, towertalk-request at contesting.com <towertalk-request at contesting.com> wrote:
>   
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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. OT Test Equipment (Wilson Lamb)
>    2. Re: OT Test Equipment (D LAST_NAME_SHORT: T)
>    3. Re: hexbeam (Rob Atkinson)
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2023 11:12:10 -0700
> From: Wilson Lamb <infomet at embarqmail.com<mailto:infomet at embarqmail.com>>
> To: towertalk at contesting.com<mailto:towertalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: [TowerTalk] OT Test Equipment
> Message-ID: <F9P0QG04JJU4.6A044JX4KH7O1 at luweb01oc>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> OT, but I know there's a lot of experience here.
> I have some 2GHz dishes I want to use for a wifi link.
> Id like to test them and verify their beam width.
>
>
> Can anyone suggest a cheap and simple source for a 2GHz carrier and a  receiver to pick it up?
> Tanks,
> Wilson
> W4BOH
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:39:05 -0500 (CDT)
> From: "D LAST_NAME_SHORT: T" <k0dan at comcast.net<mailto:k0dan at comcast.net>>
> To: Wilson Lamb <infomet at embarqmail.com<mailto:infomet at embarqmail.com>>,	Wilson Lamb via TowerTalk
> <towertalk at contesting.com<mailto:towertalk at contesting.com>>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] OT Test Equipment
> Message-ID: <1402791447.357805.1679942345881 at connect.xfinity.com<mailto:1402791447.357805.1679942345881 at connect.xfinity.com>>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> Why not use a pair of WIFI access points?
>
>
>> On 03/27/2023 1:12 PM Wilson Lamb via TowerTalk <towertalk at contesting.com<mailto:towertalk at contesting.com>> wrote:
>>
>>   
>> OT, but I know there's a lot of experience here.
>> I have some 2GHz dishes I want to use for a wifi link.
>> Id like to test them and verify their beam width.
>>
>>
>> Can anyone suggest a cheap and simple source for a 2GHz carrier and a  receiver to pick it up?
>> Tanks,
>> Wilson
>> W4BOH
>> _______________________________________________
>>

One of the inexpensive SAs or VNAs would probably work to measure the 
level.  Then you need a source. Both the SA and VNA can produce outputs.

https://www.tinysa.org/wiki/

I think you'd need the TinySA ultra (which goes up to 6GHz) and is $130 
from R&L electronics (it will say out of stock, but if you order one 
you'll get it in a few weeks, see the wiki)

You'd need two, one to be the source, one to be the measurement device.


If you want to go the VNA route, the nanorfe NanoVNA-V2 Plus4 which is 
about $250 and covers 50kHz to 4.4 GHz. or the LiteVNA covers up to 6 
GHz and is about $120




Check places like adafruit.com for things that might make a nice source 
- I've used various and sundry PLL eval boards over the years, but these 
days, they tend to be kind of expensive.


The Analog Devices PLUTO covers 325 MHz to 3.8 GHz, but they've gotten 
kind of expensive ($230) and there's software you'll need to figure out.