Radio Test Sets and related equipment

[CopperWhopper67]

Hello, all

As times goes on and my radio army grows, I would like to be able to analyze and calibrate my transceivers on my own. The last thing I want to do is ship dozens of radios to God-knows-where to have some dude charge me $100+ a piece for an alignment, and since I want to do this professionally eventually, I think it would be a good thing to learn. That being said I don't have the tens of thousands to spend on a state-of-the-art test set, so I have been looking for something that is cheaper but still has the features needed to get the job done. Does anybody have recommendations good test sets I can get for less than $1000 (preferably less than $500)? Are there features I need to look out for when searching? Do I need additional equipment to go with the test set?

Also I have been looking at a used Agilent 8960 Series 10 on eBay for a couple hundred dollars? Is that a good one?

Thanks!

 

[mikepdx]

Also I have been looking at a used Agilent 8960 Series 10 on eBay for a couple hundred dollars? Is that a good one?

I'm sure that's not what you need. That's an old cell phone tester.
See specs here: E5515C 8960 Series 10 Wireless Communications Test Set [Discontinued]

You likely want a service monitor, but they ain't cheap.

 

[dcr_inc]

Look for an IFR500, 1200S, 1500 or 1600.. They all do AM and FM.. Maybe SSB..

 

[mastr]

With all due respect, "good test sets" and "less than $1000" are generally mutually exclusive terms.

You can probably buy a working service monitor for "less than $1000" if you look around long enough, but it probably will not be one you would find desirable when/if "do this professionally" happens. As mentioned the old IFR units are OK but not up to speed for today's digital modes etc.

 

[mmckenna]

I've been down this road in the last few years.

Can you get a service monitor for $1000 or less?
-Yes. But it will be old and likely in need of calibration. If it has any issues, getting them repaired can be expensive as parts can be hard to come by. Ham radio operators love to have one on their bench, and many are willing to pay a premium. Your $500 expectation is likely going to lead to some level of disappointment with either a faulty or a downright crappy unit. Buyer beware. But you could certainly get lucky and get a good one. But then you'd have a 20+ year old service monitor that would still need periodic calibration, which may be difficult.
Beware, some of the things on e-Bay are designed for cellular and won't do what you want.
Also, consider you need the service software for all these radios to do most of the alignments. Add that into your costs.

Here's some things I can add to the excellent advice given by others...
A -new- service monitor is going to run $30K or more, depending on what options you add. It's a lot of money unless you are running a shop where you have enough need for one. I spread out the cost of mine over the 500+ radios we have, so it works out to a few bucks a year per radio. If you can find enough business to make that work, then there's a good business model.
However, most radio users have no clue that their radios need to be periodically aligned. Even public safety agencies often treat radios as disposable items.
Most good radio shops will have a modern service monitor and can easily spread the cost out across a lot of users, so you'll have some competition.

There are companies that will rent you a service monitor. It'll be expensive, but it'll be cheaper than buying a new one. That would let you align your radios, learn how they work, but not be stuck with the long term investment.

The modern service monitors are really nice. They have a lot of features in them and will do things the older ones won't. I would be good to have the experience of using a service monitor, but if you buy an old one, it'll differ greatly from the modern units on the market right now.

Modern ones have "autotest" functionality. That's where you can add software that will talk directly with the radio and automate the test/alignment process. That's expensive, but it is a huge time saver if you have to do a lot of radios. It takes a lot of the work out of the process, also.


The other thing is that I think we'll see a big change in this market in the next few years. 10 years ago buying a VNA or spectrum analyzer was a few thousand dollar endeavor. Now you can go on Amazon and buy a nano-VNA for less than $100.00. No, they are not as good as a high end unit, but they are pretty dang good.
I think it's only a matter of time before someone writes the code and puts all the right parts in one of those boxes to give you a <$1000 service monitor that will be "good enough" for hobby use. If I was in the market right now, I'd probably wait a bit and see what changes come in the next few years.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I bought an HP8920B a few years back. It was ex Ericsson Lynchburg. Probably from a lab. Absolutely no dust inside and operates flawlessly. I would recommend one of these models for conventional FM mobile work. Be sure to get the option 102 SPECTRUM analyser and tracking generator.

 

[btt]

I can recommend the Siglent SSA3021X as a very nice analyzer for the money. They are very reasonable for a new one. It isn't a test set, but does have some EMC test options. There is an option for a tracking generator and a bridge for reflection measurements. I have multiple analyzers. I use one of these most of the time with an external 10 MHz GPS-disciplined reference.

 

[MUTNAV]

Service monitors frequently combine a set of functions into one test set.... Have you considered multiple individual pieces of equipment that can perform the same set of functions, then perform a cost comparison?

Thanks
Joel

 

[BMDaug]

I’m sort of in the same place as the OP… though my budget constraints may differ a bit. All my radios top out in the 800MHz band and I would need to be able to align P25 phase 2 radios, all Harris at this point, along with amateur gear that I build myself like PAs for DATV. I’ve used spectrum analyzers for years and don’t quite understand all of the nuanced differences between a simple analyzer and a full service monitor. Fancy automatic calibration aside, what major features do service monitors have that analyzers don’t? Obviously one would also need generation equipment to test the receiver, but what else?

-B

 

[MUTNAV]

I’m sort of in the same place as the OP… though my budget constraints may differ a bit. All my radios top out in the 800MHz band and I would need to be able to align P25 phase 2 radios, all Harris at this point, along with amateur gear that I build myself like PAs for DATV. I’ve used spectrum analyzers for years and don’t quite understand all of the nuanced differences between a simple analyzer and a full service monitor. Fancy automatic calibration aside, what major features do service monitors have that analyzers don’t? Obviously one would also need generation equipment to test the receiver, but what else?

-B

Well if you look at an IFR-1100S , it has a spectrum analyzer, deviation meter, modulation meter, frequency counter?, AF signal generator that can be used to generate AM/FM modulation, RF signal generator up to about 1GHz, and I think a step attenuator. All of which can be tied together to (for example) test an AM or FM recievers ability to demodulate a signal at a specified power level, among other things... but it still seems like ptting everything together seperatly might work (and spread the costs out). QEX had an article about making a monitor with limited functions ( I believe it was November of 2019, the article is called "RF Work Bench" ).

Thanks
Joel

 

[btt]

I've used a couple of different IFR-1200s in the past. I would hate to go back to those. They are built like a tank, but the CRT display is horrible compared to a modern analyzer display. Whatever you end up doing, you will definitely want to obtain a 10 MHz GPSDO (search Ebay for GPSDO) and make sure that your equipment has an input for an external reference. The GPSDO can give you very accurate frequency reference by disciplining an oscillator from GPS transmissions (extremely accurate clocks). This will keep your adjustments / measurements dead on frequency. Another thing I would recommend is one of these: Model P-20A from Auburn Technology Corporation. I would not want to be without that for poking around (or non-contact frequency measurements). Very handy! For narrow band signal generation, I prefer the old HP8648 generators. (also connected to the GPSDO). Just what I'm used to. Good for FM related stuff.

 

[WA0CBW]

Another factor to consider is will you be doing analog or digital. Most of the "boxes" mentioned are analog only. They may be able to do some basic digital measurements but if you are going to be working on P25, DMR, NXDN you will be moving up in features and price.
BB

 

[nd5y]

I’ve used spectrum analyzers for years and don’t quite understand all of the nuanced differences between a simple analyzer and a full service monitor.

The main difference is a service monitor contains RF and audio signal generators for testing receivers.

 

[KevinC]

I vote for a Cushman CE-3.

 

[prcguy]

I prefer a Singer FM10CS with high sensitivity option and scope module.

I vote for a Cushman CE-3.

 

[techman210]

Make sure you get the one with the optional Ethernet interface 😉

 

[prcguy]

I think the FM10CS predates Twinax for networking.

Make sure you get the one with the optional Ethernet interface 😉

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I had one of these for years and it did a respectable job for tuning receivers and checking deviation and frequency accuracy. Not much else. It is chock full of socket-ed TTL chips that need reseating now and then. But they were built like a tank. You need an outboard SINAD meter and you will want a CTCSS tone generator to be complete.

 

[btt]

Seems to be turning into a thread on how to detune your receivers.

 

[BMDaug]

Seems to be turning into a thread on how to detune your receivers.

Honestly, I’m not sure who’s being serious and whose joking! I’m too much of a noob lol!

-B