[time-nuts] OT: Spectrum Analyzer

[John Ackermann N8UR]

Since Jim opened the door, I should mention that one of the projects 
underway for the High Performance SDR group (http://www.openhpsdr.org) 
is "Cyclops" which works with the existing HPSDR Mercury receiver board 
to provide a DC - 1 GHz spectrum analyzer and tracking generator.  Not 
sure when it will become available; alpha boards are currently being 
built and tested.  I am guessing that the system will be <$1500.

More details at http://openhpsdr.org/wiki/index.php?title=CYCLOPS.

John
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Lux, Jim (337C) said the following on 10/31/2009 08:37 AM:

> Since you're thinking about building something, how about somewhere in
> between a piece of lab gear and total homebrew.  The PC controlled receivers
> like the Icom PCR1000 work pretty well as a spectrum analyzer and tune DC to
> 1 GHz-ish.  So a good LO and a mixer in front of this might be a way to go.
> Yeah, you won't get the whole 3 GHz in one span.  For smaller resolution BW
> than the narrowest filter in the PCR1000, you can run the audio output with
> the receiver in SSB mode into a spectrogram program.
> 
> Instead of the PCR1000, you could use one of the SDR widgets out now (like a
> softrock), but that's going to be a LOT more homebrew.