QuoteI like Shariar's videos, in fact he's the only reviewer who's videos I watch regularly and completely, and the reason is that his videos are at a level of experienced professionals.
It depends on what you mean by a professional.
What I find a bit bewildering is that I seem to be the only person who thinks that none of the main bloggers ever reviews a spectrum analyser properly from a technical point of view. i.e. they don't do any of the classic formal tests.
I think that Shahriar's videos are aimed towards the typical 'casual' user of a spectrum analyser in this class. That's fine but some professional users of a spectrum analyser would (hopefully) want to see some formal/classic tests to see if this analyser can qualify to sit on their bench. However, most potential users of this class of instrument won't know (maybe won't even care that much?) if the analyser display is telling the truth about the spectrum it is attempting to measure. So maybe they don't want to see formal testing/comparing. They just want to see the features it offers and how easy it is to 'drive' it.
But if the analyser WAS reviewed properly from a technical point of view they would at least be able to see if it was a contender for serious use professionally.
Like I said, I suspect that Shahriar's videos are tailored towards the advanced student/hobbyist. They definitely are not aimed at a professional RF engineer for example. There's too many classic/basic tests missing.
Finally someone who is on the same page as I am! Thanks for backing!
I like Shariar's videos, in fact he's the only reviewer who's videos I watch regularly and completely, and the reason is that his videos are at a level of experienced professionals. I don't want to sit through having basics which I already know explained over and in extensive length. Simple as that. I don't mind the length because it's filled with interesting stuff.
Shahriar at The Signal Path currently has a SSA3032X he will review as soon as he can.
What I find a bit bewildering is that I seem to be the only person who thinks that none of the main bloggers ever reviews a spectrum analyser properly from a technical point of view. i.e. they don't do any of the classic formal tests.
But if the analyser WAS reviewed properly from a technical point of view they would at least be able to see if it was a contender for serious use professionally.
Like I said, I suspect that Shahriar's videos are tailored towards the advanced student/hobbyist. They definitely are not aimed at a professional RF engineer for example. There's too many classic/basic tests missing.
Which basic test are you referring to; IIP3, spurs, DANL, Amplitude accuracy, phase noise?
The problem that spectrum analyzers are facing nowadays is that they are like the Swiss army knife, they can do a lot but there is a lot of instruments out there that do each thing better. If you are into phase noise, buy an SSA, if you want a lot of BW you use an oscilloscope with VSA SW and the SA is just the downconverter, if you want to measure S11 and S21 you buy a VNA. This is how it goes in the high end market. So maybe yes, if you test for HAMs there maybe is still a need for basic tests, but for most real world professional users that use PXA, FSW etc. instruments the SA as it is is always something more than just a basic tool.
The complete instrument must work flawlessly to successfully demodulate a signal with 50dB+ of SNR and show the correct EVM. No need for basic tests of each individual component. The same goes to measure that same signal for adjacent channel leakage and receiver noise floor/sensitivity. Maybe I am wrong, but I use these things on a daily basis and if something is wrong with the unit it shows up immediately in the advanced measurements as it would in the basic ones. Maybe I am missing something?
BR
If the video is done well, it can be watched both by beginners and more advanced users.
Please check my posting more careful
Basically the videos from Shahriar, lack structure, and don't take up the classical formal tests from the start to the end.
With proper structure in place, educational explanations on a blackboard in between, to not only focus
on the instrument as such, but also about the background technology related to spectrum analyzers, you can do a video that is both learnful, not boring, includes variation, and which is accessible to beginners and more advanced users. With an index at the beginning advanced users can start the video at the proper section.
Like I said before: I think we are looking for a 3rd type of video blogger, next to Dave/Jack and Shahriar.
Nobody is perfect. And there is always room for improvement. If only more video bloggers and forum users would realize this
.......
So I'm going to argue my point again that the innovative/interesting range of low cost/small/low power/wideband analysers that are hitting the market today should (ideally) be tested to see how well they hold up against the claimed performance in the glossy brochure. The risk that they don't meet these specs is going to be far greater than a conventional bench spectrum analyser made by the classic/top manufacturers.
@G0HZU:
Can you make such a video series? You could use both the Siglent SSA3021X and the Rigol DSA815.
If possible also cover the general background about spectrum analyzer technology. Use the models with TG.
I for one have been quite interested in your comments on various SA's and your obvious knowledge and understanding
the field of RF black magic and would/could you consider doing a writeup review on the SSA3000X if approached by Siglent?
.......
So I'm going to argue my point again that the innovative/interesting range of low cost/small/low power/wideband analysers that are hitting the market today should (ideally) be tested to see how well they hold up against the claimed performance in the glossy brochure. The risk that they don't meet these specs is going to be far greater than a conventional bench spectrum analyser made by the classic/top manufacturers.Of course and exactly the reason they need be compared to the main brands by someone competent to do so.
The UI is always going to different to that one is used to but what matters more is can the instrument be trusted as meeting spec.
Would/could you be interested?
That probably depends on how you define your target group.
I have seen a few of his videos, and they are extremely long and complex in the sense that he expects
that you already are an expert user on spectrum analyzers.
In most of his videos there is some "test filter that I had lying around". This is okey for one video,
but why use this approach over and over in every single video you make? Gets boring!
Moreover I have never seen him write some formulas on a blackboard, to explain some basic
concepts (e.g. Resolution BandWidth versus sweep time), like other people do,
such as Dave Jones and Jack Gansle.
Why not break the video in different sections, and make it in such a way, that both beginners and experts can enjoy it. Beginners watch the video from the start. Experts can watch the intro to get info
about where in time their sections of interest start, and then watch those specific parts.
The educational approach from Dave Jones and Jack Gansle are much better in my opinion.
They do have a section that works for beginners. They do use the blackboard for making notes.
I enjoy their videos much more, as they do have charisma. It's not the technical details that count always.
A good video, is a video that works for both a beginner and an expert, and where the speaker has charisma. It's a skill that you can't learn. Either you have it or you don't have it.
Last thing that you want is a long video, that gets so technical up to the level that the video becomes
boring, while at the same time you don't really learn any new things in it. What's the point of such videos? Can anyone tell me please?
If the video is technical and boring, but if you at least really learn something from it, then that's okey,
but if you don't really learn anything in the video, you better spend your time in watching another video
Dave Jones has this big red "FAIL" button on the shelf behind his desk, which makes this "big fail" sound when you press it. That's the very same button which I like to press now at this very moment of writing.
FYI.
The RBW on datasheet is 10Hz, but after the upgrade, I noticed it goes to 1Hz!!! Photo as below.
This means I got a totally 'revolutionized' SA with 1449 Euro?
More than satisfied with the SA.
3) Then, a, what I got as below photo, 3.2 G and all options opened,,,it saves me thousand of bucks if it valid forever!
3) Then, a, what I got as below photo, 3.2 G and all options opened,,,it saves me thousand of bucks if it valid forever!
It's weird .... to say the least !
So SSA3021X and SSA3032X are HW wise identical and the only difference is the firmware ?
No different to most other brands of TE with models from the same series/family.
This is why there's so many attempted hacks of TE to enable further inbuilt functionality.
No different to most other brands of TE with models from the same series/family.
This is why there's so many attempted hacks of TE to enable further inbuilt functionality.
Agreed, but in this specific case the price gap between the hacked device and the "legit" one is sooo huge
But i'm ever more surprised about the self-hacking FW upgrade "gaffe" ...
Input terminated with 50ohm N terminator.
Atten 0, Input Amplifier ON, RBW10kHz (roughly: subtract 40dB for normalize to dBm/Hz, Positive peak average.