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From: cwga@cbnewse.att.com (clifton.w.gantt)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Cheap Spectrum Analyzer kits/plans?
Message-ID: <1991May7.171808.2626@cbnewse.att.com>
Date: 7 May 91 17:18:08 GMT
References: <1296@soleil.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 14

I bought the guts of just such a kit at the Dayton Hamfest a few years back.
It needed some minor design changes here and there to get the performance
to a reasonable level, but all in all, I'm happy with it.  Basically it's
just a swept receiver with the output fed to a logarithmic amplifier.
The version I have covers about 5-500 MHz and 500-900 MHz.  The VCR/cable
tuner covers the low segment and a UHF TV tuner covers the upper.

If you want to go from scratch, the VCR tuners show up regularly for $5-$15
and are really easy to modify.  You just rip out the high pass filter in
the front end.  I believe QST had a construction article on this a few years
ago, but I don't remember the exact issue.

C. W. Gantt
att!ihlpq!cwg