RF Signal Generator - Recommendations?

[marcspaz]

 

My signal generator died today.  I still have a TinySA that has a generator built into it, but I can tell you with certainty that the generator does not drop to -139dBm, as it claims on the screen.  Regardless of what I set it to, it looks like the lowest it goes is -98dBm  So, it's not very good for testing receive sensitivity. 

 

I found a cheap Rankomu on Amazon for $130.  It's rated for 0.5MHz to 470MHz, between ‑70dBm to ‑132dBm which is fine for what I am doing.

 

Before I buy a questionable product, does anyone have a recommendation (based on experience) for a RF signal generator with about the same coverage and features, at a decent price?  I don't want to spend $1,000 or even $500.  This will mostly be a toy and an occasional review or alignment tool for me.  It would be fine if it only drops to 0.1uV, but 0.05uV or better is preferred.

 

TIA,

Spaz

[tweiss3]

In for answers. It would be nice to find something reasonably priced and halfway decent.

[Lscott]

4 hours ago, marcspaz said:

 

My signal generator died today.  I still have a TinySA that has a generator built into it, but I can tell you with certainty that the generator does not drop to -139dBm, as it claims on the screen.  Regardless of what I set it to, it looks like the lowest it goes is -98dBm  So, it's not very good for testing receive sensitivity. 

 

I found a cheap Rankomu on Amazon for $130.  It's rated for 0.5MHz to 470MHz, between ‑70dBm to ‑132dBm which is fine for what I am doing.

 

Before I buy a questionable product, does anyone have a recommendation (based on experience) for a RF signal generator with about the same coverage and features, at a decent price?  I don't want to spend $1,000 or even $500.  This will mostly be a toy and an occasional review or alignment tool for me.  It would be fine if it only drops to 0.1uV, but 0.05uV or better is preferred.

 

TIA,

Spaz

By an inline attenuator. Put that on the output. I got this one used for about $50 a while back as an example.

I also have a set of low power Weinschel's to use with an old HP power meter.

Narda Fixed Attenuators.pdf Models 1 and 2.pdf HP432A Specifications.pdf

[marcspaz]

@Lscott, good deal. I have a 10w 40db attenuator that should do the trick.

 

I'll check out the HP. Looks like it may have a bunch of features, besides fir being a generator. I read up on it tonight.