U13 was reserved for a solution for a problem that went away with the latest layout. --
For more info on the tinySA go to https://tinysa.org/wiki/
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tinysa ultra, what did you plan to put the u13 chip on the board?
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Re: #tinysa_TinySA2.8_Red_AM_indication
The red "AM" warning signals a signal above a certain level that has large amplitude changes as these can confuse the level detector Once active a user action? or display status panel update, such as the notification of a ref level change in automatic mode, is needed to remove the warning again. --
For more info on the tinySA go to https://tinysa.org/wiki/
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Re: #tinysa_TinySA2.8_Red_AM_indication
I have this problem on tinysa ultra.
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#tinysa_TinySA2.8_Red_AM_indication
I have 2 tinySA2.8. One works fine, and the second often lights up the indication of the red letters "AM". In this case, the measurement mode is DISABLED. From observations: In the absence of a signal, "AM" does not indicate. When a signal is applied with a level of -25 dBm (35.6mVp-p), the red "AM" appears when the menu is called and does not turn off until the input signal is removed. Without calling the menu, this indication appears when the amplitude is sharply increased to the upper edge of the display. After removing the signal from the input, the red "AM" continues to be displayed until any menu call. The same is true when a signal is applied with a level of -30dBm (20.1mVp-p). What does this mean and how to solve it? I attach screenshots from normal and problematic devices in the same conditions:  ?? 
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Re: #tinysa What do you use your TinySA for what applications or purposes?
#tinysa
I recently purchased the Ultra for installing an OTA TV antenna for a neighbor.? I set two ranges in memory, one for high VHF and the other for UHF OTA frequencies.? After installing the antenna I attached the Ultra to the antenna with a short cable and rotated the antenna until I saw the greatest number of signals.? This was done while on top of a 25 ft ladder which was only possible with an instrument of the Ultra's size.. I plan other uses as others have mentioned for my ham radio equipment.
73
W6JAK
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There are such a lot small and cheap frequency counters out
there, yes it is nice if a SA can also be used as a counter, but
in most cases when working with a SA a rough estimation is enough,
and the markers show this very nice and fast.
It should maybe be possible to do higher resolution markers with
the trade of of a slower scan.
My Anritsu SAs can do this, I use it very seldom because most of
the times a counter is easier.
The TInyPFA is a very great tool, and I am lucky that I have one.
It brings the observation of my rubidium oscs to? anew level for
me.
But I don't see the use as a counter. The unit is setup? and
wired to do long term observations of reference oscs. So I would
have to buy a second one as a counter.
OK, to be honest, I have two older simple Philips counters, some
handheld and two working EIP counters. But to check a HT or things
like this I use usually my old, but carefully repaired, Marconi
2955 Radio Communication Analyzer.
One important point to mention. A typical counter cant handle
dirty signals, because it is simly counting the zero crossings, so
a mix out of more then one signal gives false readings. this is
one reason why I always use a SA with the counter together. No
need to do this on the high band of the EIP counters, they have a
YIG preselector.
All the Best,
Isidro
Am 04.03.2023 um 11:38 schrieb hwalker:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Sat, Mar 4, 2023 at 01:43 AM, brac321d wrote:
You can use TinyPFA as frq. counter??
? ?The tinyPFA is a very high accuracy phase analyzer.? Erik mused
that 0.1-300MHz frequency counter capability could be added to the
tinyPFA,??, but implementation turned out to be more
work than he expected.? No firmware with frequency counter
capability is expected.?
? ?"The main obstacle with the tinyPFA is its inability to measure
low frequencies. Anything below 50kHz is difficult at least, if
not impossible."
Herb
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On Sat, Mar 4, 2023 at 01:43 AM, brac321d wrote:
You can use TinyPFA as frq. counter??
? ?The tinyPFA is a very high accuracy phase analyzer.? Erik mused that 0.1-300MHz frequency counter capability could be added to the tinyPFA,??, but implementation turned out to be more work than he expected.? No firmware with frequency counter capability is expected.? ? ?"The main obstacle with the tinyPFA is its inability to measure low frequencies. Anything below 50kHz is difficult at least, if not impossible."
Herb
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You can use TinyPFA as frq. counter??
Can TSA be used / set up as frequency counter covering? 0 - 150 Mhz ? - That is LW, MW, SW / HF and VHF.
If it can, then it would be so cool.
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Indeed indeed.? Thank you Erik.
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Re: #tinysa What do you use your TinySA for what applications or purposes?
#tinysa
On 04/03/2023 06:31, MirekD via groups.io wrote: Erik's support is excellent, it greatly improves the usefulness of this
instrument!
Mirek Couldn't have put that better myself! Thanks, Erik. David -- SatSignal Software - Quality software for you Web: Email: david-taylor@... Twitter: @gm8arv
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Re: tinySA Ultra unresponsive==> part 2, calibration issue==>resolved
Closing the loop ¡
?
UPS finally delivered my order yesterday afternoon, and today I replaced the input switch in the TinySA Ultra.? Some delicate soldering, that!
?
It now happily does the level calibration and passes the self tests.? Yaay!
?
Comparing input and output signals with the scope and the HP function generator shows that it now is 50 ohm input impedance in SA mode as spec¡¯d, and for 10.MHz and -25 to -35dBm the signal levels all agree.
?
Had a quick look at the FM tuner that started all this, and it appears that I did indeed get the expected ~9dB improvement in IF gain from substituting 3 selected lower loss ceramic filters for the original ones.? Will look at it more closely tomorrow.
?
So, problem solved and desired measurements under way.? This is a great tool and list.
?
Thanks,
Larry Hanlon.
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Re: #tinysa What do you use your TinySA for what applications or purposes?
#tinysa
I use TinySA and TinySA Ultra in the development and repair of amateur radio equipment. XO, LO, TX, PA, RX from 1.8 MHz to 47 GHz. Setting levels, checking for unwanted oscillations, looking for interference, etc. Although I have three other SAs (Advantest, R&S, USSR), I use TinySA Ultra most often. It is very comfortable to work with and sufficient for most tasks. And for working with antennas in the field, TinySa is the best suited.? When working outdoors in daylight, I have the brightness set to the highest setting, so I often turn TinySA off and on to save power. I would therefore very much like to see that when switched on, the TinySA has all parameters set as when switched off. Now, for example, it does not save the modulation settings and turn on the output in generator mode.
Erik's support is excellent, it greatly improves the usefulness of this instrument!
Mirek
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The frequency indicated on a marker has the accuracy of half the selected RBW of 100Hz minimum --
For more info on the tinySA go to https://tinysa.org/wiki/
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Can TSA be used / set up as frequency counter covering? 0 - 150 Mhz ? - That is LW, MW, SW / HF and VHF.
If it can, then it would be so cool.
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Re: #tinysa What do you use your TinySA for what applications or purposes?
#tinysa
On Thu, 02 Mar 2023 06:34:01 -0800 "PDXer" <budkor22@...> wrote: So what do you yours for most, and what other purposes? And how do you feel about the device? Is it still a good device good value for money in your opinion? I have both the original TinySA and the Ultra. They are very good devices within their limitations and excellent values. Support from Erik is top notch. The "cool factor" of being small enough to wear as a fashion accessory can't be beat. (Just kidding, but I have been tempted...). I use them for finding signals on the air around me and for hunting interference. They complement my LAN-IQ Standalone SDR nicely. The Ultra especially. Convenient for general walkarounds, wide band scans, and screen capture of signals of interest. OTOH the LAN-IQ excels at real time display of narrow chunks of spectrum (under 2 MHz) with excellent sensitivity and high quality demodulation useful for hearing the signals as I would on my big radio. Both have become essential tools in the shed and I can't see how I survived all these years without them. The perfect tool might be a TinySA Ultra+ that can optionally switch to SDR architecture for narrow frequency spreads but I imagine that would complicate things quite a bit. On the test bench I use them to look at signals in radios of course. Have not had a lot of bench time with them yet but they are easier to manage than lugging around my big HP. One specific task that I have found them useful for is checking harmonics on those infamous Chinese hand held VHF/UHF rigs. They track very closely with what my HP has told me previously. My other frequent use is a sanity check for when I operate my ham rig on FT modes remotely from another room in the house. The Tinys are perfect for quickly checking that my transmitter is doing what it should be doing without having to actually run to the shack. More uses will come to light in the fullness of time. 73 -Jim NU0C
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Re: #tinysa What do you use your TinySA for what applications or purposes?
#tinysa
I use the TinySA for verification that my transmitters meet FCC requirements.? With a high-impedance active probe, I also use it to trace RF signals from oscillators through IF circuits.
73
Evan
AC9TU
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Re: #tinysa What do you use your TinySA for what applications or purposes?
#tinysa
I use mine mostly as a signal generator to test/align receivers.
--
John AE5X
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Re: #tinysa What do you use your TinySA for what applications or purposes?
#tinysa
For antenna fieldstrength measurements to measure the actual antenna gain and radiation pattern by using a nanovna for rf source to the test antenna and tsa ultra with a hb9cv antenna to measure the fieldstrength, accurate enough for portable and independent of long cables which may influence the reading.
Zero span is useful for quick indication of the fieldstrength while holding the ultra and antenna to confirm radiation pattern etc, it just needs to be out of the direct sunlight in the early evening.
And to check local repeaters output and sensitivity with a "reference antenna" which is basically any antenna which is fixed in it's position.
Then writing the repeaters signal strength down in a small book to be used if a repeater has a problem.
The signals are normally very stable over many years and by comparing the notes in the book you can establish if it is the repeater or your reference antenna
has changed in comparison with other repeaters, if all repeaters are lower than before it's your antenna for instance.
This is also done commercially and with good reason as it verifies the quality of the installation under test.
Just be aware of antenna coupling to transmitters when using spectrum analyzers like the tiny, i let others do the keying up of the repeaters!
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Hi Martin,
Australia was in a similar situation to the UK. In fact, our Post
Master General's (PMG) Department was basically a lift of the
British Telecom model. We also had the "anti-tinkle" wiring.
We were dreadfully highly regulated for many years. I worked for a
company in Canberra which pioneered VDSL in this country at a time
when our Telecom, later Telstra, was literally still playing with
ADSL(1).
It used Marconi ATM VDSL(1) equipment with a Fibre to the Node
model. We then connected to the premises via our own Cat5 cable
leadin up to a maximum of 330 metres.
Once inside, we were confronted with various different cabling
topologies. The most insidious of these was the "star" connection
from the First Socket Outlet which was "sacrosanct" and technically,
and legally, could not be "interfered" with. This meant we could
have up to 5 or 6 stubs going to various phone points in the
premises.
Any modification had to be done by a technician from Telecom, which
had a monopoly on the POTS infrastructure. They were not very
"responsive" to customer requests for changes to facilitate
connection of our equipment and charged an arm and a leg for their
"services". An absolute nightmare.
Things are a bit more relaxed now, but technically telecoms cabling
can only be installed or modified by Registered Cablers. The Carrier
demarcation point, now called the Network Boundary (NTD), is either
a box on the outside of the building where the carrier leadin
terminates or in older buildings, the leadin at the first phone
socket.
Prior to that I worked for another organisation developing secure
comms equipment. Powerline Carrier, as Ethernet extenders were known
as then, were a very hot topic and Amateur band notching was a
highly contentious issue until the ITU got involved and brought some
sanity to the argument. These systems also used some frequencies
common to ADSL and VDSL, so there were constant battles with
interference between all three technologies.
As you so eloquently put it, "Interference hunting and 'killing' can
be a hobby in its own right."
Happy hunting:-)
Cheers...Bob VK2ZRE
On 22/02/2023 11:58 pm, Martin via
groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Hi Bob,
The main problem with VDSL, and before that ADSL in the UK, is
that the Telecom provider only really ad responsibility up to the
wall plate, the rest was self installed.
The best you could hope for was that the Teelcoms company would
turn up and replace the existing wall plate with a correctly
filtered version, but more often that not, you would simply
receive a modem in the post along with some line filters, that
were supposed to be fitted between the phones in use and the modem
itself.
The problem with this is that very often people had installed
additional phone sockets, and either didn't bother fitting the
filters, or fitted them in the wrong places, so they didn't do
what they were supposed to.
UK phone sockets also had a third wire which separates out the
bell circuit. This was a legacy of the older phones with rotary
pulse dialling, which used to cause the bell to ring when a number
was dialled. This wire was often referred to as the 'anti tinkle
circuit', and it has the effect of unbalancing the otherwise
balanced pair used for the modem and speech circuits.
One final issue is that, unlike in some other countries, there was
no notching of the Amateur bands, even though the equipment had
the capability, it was never implemented.
Fortunately there is a big push to move everyone across to fibre
to the home by 2025, so hopefully the DSL problems will simply go
away.
Ethernet mains adaptors are a separate issue. Modern home routers
and mesh connected nodes are a lot better at providing whole house
coverage than original wireless routers used to be. But I think
folks who did once require them, and may no longer need them at
all, are still leaving them running because they don't realise
that they are no longer doing anything other than adding to the
electricity bill. Fortunately the majority of these are notched,
so the problem is a lot less worse than it could have been, and I
guess that a lot of them will soon be reaching the end of their
life and simply pack up.
Even the other bane of interference, switched mode supplies and
'wall wart' chargers, actually seem to be getting better, and some
I've acquired recently, that were supplied with various new
products, have been pretty tame, especially in comparison to some
older models that? were also made in China.
Interference hunting and 'killing' can be a hobby in its own
right.
Regards,
Martin
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David J Taylor
Jim Shorney