Using the "138MHz-4.4GHz USB SMA Source/Signal Generator/Simple Spectrum Analyzer" for TV/CATV/SAT

[John]

.... another good reason to invest in this set-up apart from the price & spectrum is to make use of the signal source to do testing with lnb to dish matching with a temp dish set-up at ground level with relative ease without having to locate a bird etc.
Pretty accurate as well.
Pic shows Norsat Cband lnb just for illustration, that could easily be on a test dish and ready for experimentation.

 

[vma]

John, that is a cool setup! I must replicate that myself! Thanks for sharing it. If you had two units, you could run two sessions of my software and use one to transmit the signal and the other to render the spectrum.

This is exactly what you would be able to do with one single NWT4000 device, if I would build in some TG support.

@jeallen01: The latest version takes your request to heart. You can now minimize the main window. It is not implemented as you suggested, but I guess you will be able to live with it...

Also, I have now included the donation information. Mind me, nobody has to donate. If you do so, please bear with me, as I never tried it and I am not sure how long it takes for Paypal to send me any information.

Regards,
vma

 

[jeallen01]

Got the noise generator PCB as part of the s/a deal for just another few quid, and now have the box and bits to build it into a Faraday cage (don't like the idea of the generator spewing wideband noise "everywhere" ).

Unfortunately, due the late arrival of the replacement dishwasher replacement (actually TWO of them arrived due to website "errors" - but one went straight back and I, I hope, I will get a refund in a few days if the phone conversation I had with Currys later proves to be true;) ) means that I won't be able to install it until Sunday, and so assembling the generator enclosure will probably wont be until Tuesday because of U3A things I have to do on Monday.

PS to vma: re Paypal, please just "wait a minute" - or at least until tomorrow when I am rather more "sober" and have downloaded your latest version and "dealt" with it - might be tomorrow, but could well be later . -

 

[John]

.... It gets better, usable at Ka 21GHz for testing and experimentation using harmonics. This program / hardware is sooooo useful Vitor

 

[vma]

John,

What resolution is your tablet? I just noticed that the window doesn't fully fit the screen! That shouldn't happen - the latest versions only use a 1280x770 pixel window.
Does your tablet run on less than that?

Regards,
vma

 

[John]

John,

What resolution is your tablet? I just noticed that the window doesn't fully fit the screen! That shouldn't happen - the latest versions only use a 1280x770 pixel window.
Does your tablet run on less than that?

Regards,
vma

... Well spotted, iv'e been playing around with screen resolutions to get maximum fill of the display on the tablet. It was running at 1280 x 720 on that pic, i'll change it to 1280 x 768 next.
** Donation made Vitor, thanks again.

 

[battenfan]

Pic shows Norsat Cband lnb just for illustration, that could easily be on a test dish and ready for experimentation.

Can you please explain how you connected these things in this test, are you using some kind of directional coupler or bridge?

 

[John]

Can you please explain how you connected these things in this test, are you using some kind of directional coupler or bridge?

... Nothing as elaborate as that BF when the pic was taken ..... it was just a spur of the moment thing to try to satisfy my curiosity.
On the Cband pic the usb sma output socket was open, un-terminated, harmonics & stuff going everywhere, the rf only had to jump a couple of feet to get to the Cband lnb but it showed me that in principle it worked. The lnb supply was fed via the Promax.
I would set it up more elaborate if doing some lnb/dish setting up, propper load / antenna on the usb sma socket and on axis to the test dish etc should i decide to spend a few hours serious playing lol.
Seriously like this little set-up for the price, recommended.

 

[scopus]

Donation sent to VMA

 

[jeallen01]

vma

Re Paypal - can you yet confirm that you are receiving the payments sent so far (no names required)?

Will hope to pay this evening (will be out most of the day from 11.00 until around 17.00)

 

[vma]

Hi,

Yes, I got payments and it works really well!

Regards,
vma

 

[jeallen01]

vma

Paypal sorted (I hope).

 

[jeallen01]

@jeallen01: The latest version takes your request to heart. You can now minimize the main window. It is not implemented as you suggested, but I guess you will be able to live with it...

vma

vma - tried that, and I certainly can!

 

[vma]

Hi,

This is to let you guys know that I just released a new version with a great new function: you can now record and replay the whole spectrum!

And I really mean recording the whole life spectrum for as long as you want! You can then replay the recorded spectrum and even toggle the playback speed (at max speed you get an idea what a Rohde&Schwarz spectrum analyser feels like...).

More info on my blog and inside the included manual.

By the way: this allows EVERYONE to take a peek into spectrum analysis, even if you do not own the hardware device, because you can now share/download your spectrum recordings and they can be replayed without having the device attached.

Regards,
vma

 

[vma]

Here is a sample file, showing my dish rotating from 30.0W to 19.2E and back to 30.0W.
Quickly done without great care, just to show.

Regards,
vma

 

[jeallen01]

vma & anyone else

What do you use for viewing ".sal" files because none of my installed s/w recognises that type of file?

 

[vma]

Hi,

SAL = Spectrum Analyser Log

It is just a text file with the raw dump of the device. You can open it in any text editor, like Notepad++.

Not much to see there, though...

Regards,
vma

 

[jeallen01]

vma - thanks, and now I understand

 

[jeallen01]

WARNING - Paypal & Thunderbird - phishing!

I normally use Outlook as my email client - except on the ACER as I don't have any more Outlook licences, and so I use Thunderbird there.

However, after I Gifted a donation, using my main m/c, to vma on Saturday, I did exchange a couple of emails with him via Tbird on the ACER, and that included getting one from Paypal and reading one from him about the new code - and then this morning I got the following email which purported to be from Paypal, but it's not if you look at the address from which it came



Not sure how they got "in there" - but watch out for similar things if you are using Tbird.

 

[vma]

Jesus! This has nothing to do with me!
It must be a strange coincidence, hopefully.
I have not received anything similar nor do I have anyone else complaining about such phishing spam.
Let me know I you need any help.

Regards,
vma