I am close to ordering signalhound for work. There are several reports on this (mostly by ham radio operators) that are impressive. Consider this is a USB instrument that is achieving -150 dBm sensitivity, which means roughly it is able to resolve ~picovolt level signals. If I get one, I will report back.
I am close to ordering signalhound for work. There are several reports on this (mostly by ham radio operators) that are impressive. Consider this is a USB instrument that is achieving -150 dBm sensitivity, which means roughly it is able to resolve ~picovolt level signals. If I get one, I will report back.
-150dBm in 50ohm system means that voltage rms is around 7.071nV (7071pV)
dBm is power related to 1mW (this m is for mW)
With 100Hz RBW it is (if -150dBm/Hz) around -130dBm (dependent also littlebit RBW filter shape specs)
It need really understand what mean this noise level. (DANL)
dBm/Hz !!! And even more, what really this average mean in practice working.
(DPNL is raw and hard... they (manufacturers) do not want use it)
(yes manufacturers do not always clearly tell this dBm/Hz... it is very fun example if minimum RBW is 1kHz or even more and manufacturer use dBmHz but talk dBm. Sometimes it is noted in one place with small letters and then they use without any worry just dBm. It is not clear lie becouse it really can find there if read all carefully. Some manufactures show it more clear some maybe forget whole thing.
What it means?
If it is -150dBm/Hz what if band width (RBW) is 100Hz. It is -130dBm
What is displayed noise level in practice if RBW is 1kHz or 100kHz.
It is good to know and realize so disappointment is then not so big.
What span it is practical to use 100Hz RBW. How long time it take if set span example 100MHz and use 100Hz or 1kHz or example 10kHz RBW. (with 100
kHz filter it takes around one second! So it is really amazing slow! Old (very old) and
slow R&S take same 40ms. With 100MHz span and RBW 100kHz and input attenuator 0dB. With this setting noise peak level is around -100dBm compared to this dogbox -65dBm. (oh well 35dB difference, not so big... more than 1000:1 in power )
And this: "Frequency Sweeps
up to 140 MHz per second"
There was one example picture in rewiew, 100MHz span, 100kHz RBW sweep time nearly 1 second
and noise peak floor seems be around -65dBm and maybe under -70dBm level can not detect anything. It is realistic. (with these used settings)
Then this people who make rewiev and he look dislpayed average noise level... he use 100Hz RBW and then he adjust (normalize) numbers to dBm/Hz (dBm/1Hz) this is natural becouse also manufaturer use this, but it need remember what is dBm/Hz. Minimum RBW in this box is 100Hz.
Residual spurious in input connector! Level is -- more bad than terrible. After reading this, if I see any serious lab work made with this box... I classify it as "garbage".
But then, price! In this price: not bad for many kind of use where is not so critical for perfomance and accuracy.
In manufacturer AD they tell it is high perfomance spectrum analyzer. (
)
If this is High Perfomance spectrum analyzer I'm caesar of China.
It is low perfomance or entry level/hobby level spectrum analyzer but maybe not toy level.