Spectrum Monitoring article on spectrum analyzer

[JPSan]

Has anyone here played with the USB dongle RF spectrum analyzer from RF VIEWER -- Low-Cost, RF Spectrum Analyzer | RF VIEWER — Low-Cost, RF Spectrum Analyzer
From the article : a low cost USB dongle RF
spectrum analyzer covering 24 – 1766 MHz with the capability
of scanning up to 300 MHz of spectrum at a time.
The package includes one RTL-SDR dongle, mini-antenna,
instructions for downloading Touchstone-Pro (the
companion software) to a Windows-based PC, a key code
(via email from NutsAboutNets) to access Touchstone-Pro
RF Spectrum Analyzer software and lifetime of free software
upgrades. A free download of the demonstration version of the
software is available for those interested prior to purchase by
going to the Ebay site.


There is a real interesting article about this in the September issue of Spectrum Monitor on line mag. ( The Spectrum Monitor ) This on line mag is by the way a very decent replacement to the late Monitoring Times mag.

I am just now getting into the SDR world and curious if this a worthwhile device. Early days of experimenting.

 

[Flatliner]

That is interesting. I own a copy of Touchstone Pro already so will have a look tomorrow to see if it works with my dongle.

 

[Flatliner]

Yep, Touchstone Pro works with my RTL dongle too.

 

[DaveNF2G]

The trial periods on those programs are ONE SINGLE SESSION.

Useless for me. When I installed and then started the programs to see what they looked like, my SDR was not connected. Later on, after plugging in the SDR, the programs refused to run again without being paid for. Ridiculous!

 

[eorange]

I laughed out loud when I read this - agree, totally ridiculous!

 

[jonwienke]

So how is this not a ripoff when the USB dongle has the same chips in it as the $20 NooElec, which is compatible with the free SDR# software? What if anything are you getting for the extra $50?

 

[majoco]

I downloaded and installed the "RTLSDR Scanner" programme yesterday. It seems to work quite well although it's not very fast at all.

RTLSDR Scanner | Ear to Ear Oak

It will scan vast swathes of frequency and has good resolution. Unfortunately it runs on a Unix/Linux platform with a Windoze 'adaptor' and some of the 'setup' and other screens don't work - they dump you out of the programme. I'd like to change the vertical scaling but it won't let me - dB/√Hz doesn't mean a lot to me!

Simple to install as it comes with it's own installer - you just have to sit there and push "enter' every so often!

...and it's FREE!!!

 

[jonwienke]

The scanner plugin for SDR# is free, and scans very fast--about 3 seconds to scan 400-520MHz in 2.5KHz steps, unless it gets a hit on an active frequency. It's a native Windows program. And it's free.

 

[BM82557]

The scanner plugin for SDR# is free, and scans very fast--about 3 seconds to scan 400-520MHz in 2.5KHz steps, unless it gets a hit on an active frequency. It's a native Windows program. And it's free.

Is this the Scanner Plugin you are referring to -   SDR# Plugins ?


or this one - Сканер + поиск новых частот. ? (Page in Russian, use Google translate.)

 

[jonwienke]

The first one.

 

[millam]

Touchstone spectrum analyzer

Does anyone know if Touchstone or Touchstone Pro have the capability to
enter the vfo correction numbers anywhere? I am running the free one and it
seems that there is no gain or vfo correction inputs. Also their web site claims
that the free Touchstone has the ability to adjust the RBW but I can't find any
way to do it.

Mil

The free down load of Touchstone that will run is under Products under Touchstone.
It has a download for the free Touchstone and the pay for Touchstone Pro. It shows
a list of things that each will do or not do. The resolution is bad with the free one but
if you are looking for a signal that's here and gone every hour or so it will grab it for you,
but without vfo correction it may not be what you are looking for.