Spectrum analyzer recommendation

[Jane]

What spectrum analyzer ,up  to 3 GHz would you recommend ?
Any experience with that kind of a similar model?

Thanks

[tautech]

What spectrum analyzer ,up  to 3 GHz would you recommend ?

New or SH ? Budget ?

These have been popular and have some forum following:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/siglent-ssa3000x-spectrum-analyzers/

Any experience with that kind of a similar model?

Certainly not extensive but we all have excellent guidance from rf-loop from his posts to its capabilities in the above thread.
This was my first SA and I had to develop at least some basic skills in order to demo it with some degree of confidence. Honestly I was way out of my comfort zone when I got it but after some time copying what others have shown online usage becomes quite straight forward. But like any complex equipment you can't just go blindly bashing buttons and twiddling knobs to get some lucky dip result. Methodology of making the settings and in the correct sequence is how to get results that count. rf-loop has linked a few white papers that should be added to your archives to help understand usage principles and set you on the right path early on.
Of the few I've sold in our small NZ market AFAIK all customers have been quite satisfied with its performance.

For the hobbyist that wants the most out of it there's this thread for further improvements of performance to the 2.1 GHz base model.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/hack-of-sigllent-spectrum-analyzer-ssa3021x/

There's a good few forum members that have these so there's a lot of support for newcomers to these models.

[1design]

Jane, it depends where you live. MCS had quite a few very good SA on sale in the UK and EU, maybe they still have some on stock.
Anyhow, everything depends on your budget and what you want to do with this tool.
If you don't need a tracking generator, I would say the TEK RSA306B might offer the most measurement capabilities.

[DaJMasta]

I couldn't find the thread, but there's one in the Test Equipment section that outlines a number of SAs that are on the cheaper side and are available new or used.  There are a lot of flavors and a lot of potential features, are there any must-haves for your application?

Benchtop or portable?
Demodulation capability?
PC interface?
Realtime analysis?
Tracking gen/antenna analyzer functionality?

[slurry]

What are you going to measure?
That kind of is one important detail if you want good advice.

Some do great with a Agilent E4406A or CMU200, some needs a EMI SA, some need a RTSA, some need to go really low frequencies and some needs a SA for 21GHz.
I have four SA's, all of them good for different things but none of them do everything.

[Wolfgang]

Hi,

I think one of the best seeling SAs was (and probably is) a RIGOL DSA815TG/DSA830TG. I have two of the 1.5GHz models, they are foolproof, reliable and cheap.
A Keysight (N9000 Series) can do a lot more but costs 10 times the money. For hobby use the RIGOLs are good enough, definitively.

[TheUnnamedNewbie]

For hobby use the RIGOLs are good enough, definitively.

This is not true. There are plenty of situations where the Rigols do not have the frequency capacity needed.
Sure, in this case, with the OP asking  for something up to 3 GHz, it is, but I myself haven't done much measuring with a SA below 6 GHz.
For beginners I think it can be more interesting to get an older, second hand analyzer with more bandwidth because of the future capabilities. It might not have the same computer interface, but do many hobbyists use computer control?
Just to be clear, I get the Rigol and the Siglent are popular, and cost as much new as you will have to put down for a second hand model capable of more, but I don't get everyone touting them as the end-all be-all spectrum analyzer for hobbyists.

[xaxaxa]

This is not true. There are plenty of situations where the Rigols do not have the frequency capacity needed.
Sure, in this case, with the OP asking  for something up to 3 GHz, it is, but I myself haven't done much measuring with a SA below 6 GHz.
For beginners I think it can be more interesting to get an older, second hand analyzer with more bandwidth because of the future capabilities. It might not have the same computer interface, but do many hobbyists use computer control?
Just to be clear, I get the Rigol and the Siglent are popular, and cost as much new as you will have to put down for a second hand model capable of more, but I don't get everyone touting them as the end-all be-all spectrum analyzer for hobbyists.

I think most people are only interested in <6GHz, as there aren't many useful bands above 6GHz (propagation is shitty, parts are 100x more expensive, impossible to generate any meaningful amount of power, etc)

[Wolfgang]

The thread started with something up to 3 GHz ...

[Mechatrommer]

The thread started with something up to 3 GHz ...

agreed, for the sake of the OP. even though i'm in the same boat as TheUnnamedNewbie and dont believe > 3GHz parts are 100X more expensive, but the OP can get another SA when he thinks he need more than 3GHz later, should be good for the ecosystem. the spawn of 1-3GHz SA/VNA aimed at hobbiests from Siglent, Rigol and R&S lately should tell us that "newbies" "should" concentrate their mind on these new comers models. ymmv.

[Wolfgang]

OK, but then you should not skip the info that there is a huge price difference between 1.5 or 3GHz models and the ones with 6 to 7.5GHz. These are not mass models anymore, so they are not cheap.

Homebrewing above 3GHz is definitively more tricky than below that (devices, PCB materials, connectors, milled cases, ...). You can debate if so many beginners end up there. 

[rhb]

I was able to get an HP 8560A with the TG for ~$1450 which had been calibrated about 2 years earlier.  It's a real delight to use.  Unfortunately, it is hard to find units with option 02, the tracking generator.

The receiver covers 9 KHz to 2.9 GHz, the TG starts at around 100 KHz.  The Siglent's have been covered extensively.  The analogous Instek, the GSP-9300B has had less discussion.  Instek doesn't charge extra for the FW modules whereas Siglent does.