playing with my home made analyser

[Paul Collins M0BSW]

It's cold in the workshop today so been playing with my Spectrum analyser which seems to work extremely well,I think when I built it and added all that screening has  paid off, this is spectrum Analyser Mk1 I'm on Mk 3 now , which  consists of surface mounted and through components and I'm making it more compact plus Mk3 work directly with the scope and not through software.
 this image  is of a filter  I made to try it out.

[TechJunkie]

Very cool! Are you thinking about writing your own software for it? I would like to know a bit more about your project if you're willing to share.

[Mr Eastwood]

Nice!   any pics / explanation of the inner workings?

[Paul Collins M0BSW]

Hi, Well it's nothing so special the idea  is from a book called Homebrew Cookbook by a fellow Radio Amateur called Eamon Skelton EI9GO it's of modular construction,and consists of Noise Source,Mixer-Product Detector,Crystal Oscillator ,AF amp. I built this one for checking the response of Crystal filters, the best software is the registered version of Zeloscope.
With that behind me I'm building  a version of poor-mans  spectrum analyser, using the block diagram as a map, with my own versions of the blocks, it's the only way to learn. as with the first S/A the building blocks I changed to make my own versions  I want  it to work with my scope,rather than software, it's a great way you learn especially when it works.
There is a Vector Network Analyser home brew, that fascinates me a lot .hope this helps a bit, I found just concentrating on a small part of the circuit at a time helps.

[Paul Collins M0BSW]

Nice!   any pics / explanation of the inner workings?

stage
Yes I have some in it's early shabby stage.

[Paul Collins M0BSW]

Very cool! Are you thinking about writing your own software for it? I would like to know a bit more about your project if you're willing to share.

Eric I wish I had the skill of writing,I used to back in the DOS days, Pic programming,seems complicated machine code, not sure about arduino , at 60 years old I think I'd need a idiots guide to it.

[Mr Eastwood]

Nice!   any pics / explanation of the inner workings?

stage
Yes I have some in it's early shabby stage.

nah - there's nothing wrong with 'shabby' prototypes in my book ;-)

[Mr Eastwood]

Pic programming,seems complicated machine code, not sure about arduino , at 60 years old I think I'd need a idiots guide to it.

Modern compilers write the assembly code - so you don't have to;  and if you need more 'grunt' - just choose a faster chip!    If you're using Pics you need to understand how to read the datasheet, then you're good to go.  Start with a 'blinky'  then add an lcd, buttons etc and away you go!

[Paul Collins M0BSW]

Pic programming,seems complicated machine code, not sure about arduino , at 60 years old I think I'd need a idiots guide to it.

Modern compilers write the assembly code - so you don't have to;  and if you need more 'grunt' - just choose a faster chip!    If you're using Pics you need to understand how to read the datasheet, then you're good to go.  Start with a 'blinky'  then add an lcd, buttons etc and away you go!

I will have  go using the laptop instead of suffering in the cold cellar workshop, I do have the board that connects between the pic chip & laptop,so it's worth a look at,I usually copy & paste the code file and the board does it's magic, it would be nice to write my own programs.

[TechJunkie]

Nice!   any pics / explanation of the inner workings?

stage
Yes I have some in it's early shabby stage.

nah - there's nothing wrong with 'shabby' prototypes in my book ;-)

lol, you ought to see some of my prototypes! Not much of a looker but they work great!