Rohde Schwarz FPC1000 Spectrum Analyzer (5 kHz to 3 GHz)

[diyaudio]

Looks like 2017 is the year instrumentation companies focus on the EE workbench underdog. Not sure if the price is underdog compatible!

https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/us/product/fpc1000-productstartpage_63493-363458.html

[nctnico]

Did you look at the pricing? The 3GHz version costs around 3800 euro.  For that kind of money you can buy a very decent used spectrum analyser.

[diyaudio]

Did you look at the pricing? The 3GHz version costs around 3800 euro.  For that kind of money you can buy a very decent used spectrum analyser.

3800 euro,

[fonograph]

Can you hack it?

[PA0PBZ]

Can you hack it?

With an axe, sure 

[EVS]

Funny device 
Load 50 Ohm - Noise Level - PAmp ON/OFF

 

[jjoonathan]

Did you look at the pricing? The 3GHz version costs around 3800 euro.  For that kind of money you can buy a very decent used spectrum analyser.

3800 euro,

"We're really after the educational market and this list price lets us give them the BIGGEST EDUCATIONAL DISCOUNT OF ALL!!!" Just think of the savings!

[usagi]

I bring this up on shahriar's videos whenever he posts some "entry level" device which costs as much as a sports car, but always get excuses like "well spectrum analyzers cost 20,000 euro so 6,000 euro is quite acceptable for entry level"

maybe entry level for very rich people. but not your average eevblog reader.

shahriar must drive a Ferrari.

[DaJMasta]

But "entry level" doesn't mean that everyone can afford it, it means that that it's the cheap end of the market segment where you can find comparable stuff... and as with most test equipment, it's not really designed for a hobbyist or someone using it for a non-profitable activities, even if many of us end up using it for such.

That's why we all end up with used gear or repairing broken gear, so that the equipment with a price only justifiable to an organization with a trained expert to use it can be on our benches.


Anyways, I'm not claiming that I think this is a competitive entry level price, but given R&S's market positioning for their stuff in other segments and the price... it's about what I'd expect.  For the same money you can find considerably more bandwidth and such in a used instrument (but that will almost always be the case, right?), and the cheapest competitor with comparable specs is probably around half the list price - but this is consistent with their scopes and other gear in my experience.  Anyways, I don't mind there being more competition in the segment, who knows what software enhancements will spread around manufacturers and what the prices will do in the future.

[WastelandTek]

yawn

http://www.qsl.net/n9zia/wireless/pdf/9808035.pdf

[nowlan]

The specs look very similar to Rigol 815, which is less than half the price, so a hard sell.

[usagi]

That's why we all end up with used gear or repairing broken gear, so that the equipment with a price only justifiable to an organization with a trained expert to use it can be on our benches.

one thing is for certain, brand new test equipment doesn't hold its value at all. less than 10 years old and these R&S and agilent spectrum analyzers i picked up lost >95% of their value. good news for us