Products > Test Equipment
Looking for a pocket rf spectrum analyzer
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DaneLaw:

--- Quote from: kultakala on September 03, 2023, 03:31:42 pm ---I watched some videos about the HackRF and the sweep mode.
On a pc with Qspectrumanalyzer you can have it work as a full spectrum analyzer like tinySA.
What i couldnt find out yet is if this function is also possible when using it portable with the portapack.
Then i could use it to find frequencies like i want to do with the tinySA.

I know that the HackRF can do more things including transmit and decoding etc.
But my main use would be just to look at the spectrum and find frequencies in use.
Can the HackRF with portapack do this ?
Or just like in the video about the tinySA, just show the spectrum of the WIFI band ?

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As Bicurico mentions they are quite different tools, and if you are into RF signals they both have their place.
The user "Biurico", certainly been down with many of these products, not least these CN PC spectrum analyzers, as he is the maker of the PC spectrum program "VMA Simple Spectrum Analyzer" that got support for many of these PC spectrum analyzers, - I recall WMA is one of the only programs that also will give you a waterfall for these Chinese PC spectrum analyzers, mentioned above, with chips like ADF4350/51 and MAX2870 etc.

HackRF with Portapack is one weird product, as it's so diverse'd, thanks to all the community software for it.
Some of these programs, not least for Linux (*an OS I'm not into bed with) you can literally program HackRF to your heart's desire & what you want to do with RF signals, also for people that are up to no good.
The coding aspect is above my skills & knowledge, I use it with the plug & play programs for Windows or Android or the Portapack units self-contained MayhemOS, and even here it can be a task to get your heading.

I'm still on an old Mayhem OS from years back on My HackRF, so I don't know if later MayhemOS-revisions (*that OS that runs on the Portapack screen as a self-contained handheld unit) perhaps are able to give you a visual spectrum and not just a waterfall?
I recall a mention of something called "looking-glass" on newer MayhemOS rev. but If I recall correctly it was still a "waterfall" just over a very wide span, and not an actual spectrum.?
In certain menus you have a dial-in spectrum  https://tinyurl.com/mr3eyr8e, but not in the main spectrum setting and not as the one your pursuing as a dedicated spectrum explorer/analyzer..
You can plug it into a PC and run it, like here below, seems there are a few programs that gives you a user-definne wide-span,  and not the SDR-20Mhz which are the limit in most SDR programs, like fx Console.

- cycling through FPV 5.8Ghz channels for quad/multi rotors. exampled 300MHz span from 5.6GHz to 5.9GHz to give an indication of  swethe 300MHz span sweepspeed, but things are as far from optimized, with a polarized circular 5.8Ghz FPV antenna and a telescoppic HackRF antenna..



HackRF with Ludicris 6.5Ghz sweep [24MHz to 6.5Ghz] and even with a corny telescopic antenna like this, the carriers will visualize, but all aspects of measuring RF-power, are more or less out with the bathwater, its visualize carriers and conclude the frequency



If you are in the market for a relatively cheap handheld Spectrum analyzer, that are valid for tangible RF-power measurements, quite far up its freq-span.. TinySA Ultra is the one to get in 2023, its an impressive little tool that has surprisingly many nominal SA-features & settings, and the Dutch vendor behind it "Erik Kaashoek". its his channel above posted in a previous post with the WIFI TinySA Ultra example... Erik is constantly optimizing and adding features. (big plus in my book  :-+)..it also got a solid TinySA/Ultra PC app, and there is also talks about an Android apk.


My HackRF with Portapack is more like an RF-playroom, it is minute broadcast power without third-party amplifiers, I got around a max of 25mW at 2.4Ghz (but again, I am using the bottom of the barrel from the Chinese flea market of an old USB3 RF power meter, and one thing I do know, is that accurate RF power meters going from 0 to like 10 or 11GHz and you just dial it it in a will ..usually don't hang on the threes for 30 to 40 bucks, so take these values with a pinch of salt, (fx amount of harmonics incl. etc)
but its still a joy, to take your handheld HackRF and just hit record on its screen, & record a given RF signal from fx a crude RF remote, and then replay it and see the effect with RF controlled items in your household...

it goes without saying that there are strict regulations when broadcasting RF, and not least for variable RF SDR tools thay give you leeway from 0 to up around 7Ghz, these HackRF Portapack on their standalone MayhemOS, also got both receive and broadcast for both sea (AIS) & air (ADS-B), alongside other things like air-ballon, pagers, Bluetooth, wireless mics, analog TV, POGSAG, NRF, BTLE, ERT Meter, AFSK, APRS, BHT Xy/EP, GPS Sim, LGE Tool, Morse, Burgerpgr, OOK, SSTV, TEDI/LCR, RDS, Touchtime etc etc
 got tons of program inbuild for many of these things, where a lot I dont know what is and how it works.. 
Alongside an extensive jammer with all the repository of different regions relevant frequencies.. also got menus with other things with cars, certain carbrands, TPMS, keyfobs.. so you are gonna pick up boats & planes in your neighborhood, and they will plug out on its Portapack screen, with their data,fligthumber, speed, altitude etc and a map)
If anybody is interested in some of these features and want a screendum of the relevant menu for some of these features.. just say so.
It also got an active DC load on its SMA-in/out, where you can toggle at will (haven't used it, I reckon it is 5v)


You also have an extensive call menu and scanner menu, freq manager,  like I use below with the RF power meter and you can save things, screendumps, audio recordings, RF signals etc.. to your device SD-card...
It's a potent little RF gadget with 3.2" touchscreen..
I am on the old "Mayhem OS v1.2" from years back.. if other HackRF Mayhem users' are on a newer MayhemOS and there are significant changes.. would love to know.?


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tv84:

--- Quote from: Kean on September 03, 2023, 06:29:33 pm ---And yet, I just ordered myself a TinySA Ultra - because they all have their good and bad points and I miss having a portable SA with nice UI that doesn't require a PC.

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 :D  Your TEA wings are well earned.
kultakala:
I ordered a tinySA Ultra, it arrived today and i am quite happy, works fine.

I have no idea about antennas, but switched from the small supplied telescopic antenna to a Diamond SRH789 antenna which seems to give 10dB more.

If i want to locate a transmitting device would a directional antenna really work on the tinySA ?
I thought about a small triangular log-per antenna.
Can that work or is it wasted money ?
tautech:

--- Quote from: kultakala on September 07, 2023, 01:25:39 pm ---I ordered a tinySA Ultra, it arrived today and i am quite happy, works fine.

I have no idea about antennas, but switched from the small supplied telescopic antenna to a Diamond SRH789 antenna which seems to give 10dB more.

If i want to locate a transmitting device would a directional antenna really work on the tinySA ?
I thought about a small triangular log-per antenna.
Can that work or is it wasted money ?

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Without an RF preamp you might be pissing in the wind.......

Best you might achieve is with a directional high gain Yagi but even these need be suitable for the frequency of interest.
DaneLaw:

--- Quote from: kultakala on September 07, 2023, 01:25:39 pm ---I have no idea about antennas, but switched from the small supplied telescopic antenna to a Diamond SRH789 antenna which seems to give 10dB more.

If i want to locate a transmitting device would a directional antenna really work on the tinySA ?
I thought about a small triangular log-per antenna.
Can that work or is it wasted money ?

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Any specific log antenna you have in mind and what frequency are you aiming at?

Most of these Ultra wideband cheap log antenna from China, seems to all kick in above 1Ghz and claim to go up around 10Ghz..
I don't know if they are any good, as I lack something to compare against.

One of the very cheap kind, the SWR looks like this below' when running it on these relatively cheap 130Mhz to 2.7Ghz plug & play-antenna analyzers.
Its an antenna to around 5 bucks incl. VAT. so one also need to have the price in mind.

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and another variant that is a few dollars cheaper but also smaller.

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You do have a LNA feature on TinySA Ultra for those weaker signals.
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