alex_kyuss Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 hi all. I am looking for a radio frequence scanner for finding available Radio frequencies at gigs. I would like one that has a screen as well cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 I've got an Icom IC-R5 which is pretty reasonable. I think it was about the cheapest model I could find that has no gaps in its coverage and had good reviews. In terms of finding free frequencies at gigs, you'd be better off talking to the person who is co-ordinating the frequencies on site. Assuming that there is such a person of course. Failing that, zip through the frequencies that you're licensed for and see what works. That won't be more than 18 so it's not too arduous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Icom were amongst the best avaliable when I was into ametuer radio and a quick google brings up the IC-R3 as being a possible candadate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_kyuss Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 cheers mate. For the company im working for we do the rf co-ordinating usually. What im looking for is a kind of scope that you can stick an antenna on the end of it and it shows you a graphical picture of whats going on in the area. I have seen them but the only on I've found so fare was £2500 the AOR - SR2000A ( http://www.aorja.com/index-e.html ). Im doing the looking through our frequency spectrum until I find good ones. I just want a better way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 In that case, a scanner isn't what you want. This ...http://parnass.com/tk2/icr2.jpg... is a scanner (the same model that I have, which incidentally is very good if that's what you're looking for!), and it won't do what you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_kyuss Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 thats what I thought. As silly a question as it is do you know what im looking for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion Tamer Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree but is it a "Spectrum Analyzer" that you are after?Sorry that I can't help with choosing a unit but hopefully I have given you the right search term to look under. Jem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I have had success using Shure UHF-R recievers and a Laptop to do a scan using Wireless Workbench. This helped out on several occasions and is quite a cheap solution (almost free if you are using UHF-R as your radio mics anyway), although it takes a while to scan through the whole of the range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree but is it a "Spectrum Analyzer" that you are after?Thats exactly what the OP needs. Thurlby Thandar [TTi] make well regarded kit in this area, and are used by many stateside wireless mic wranglers. Why not have a picture: http://www.tti-test.com/images1/product-jpgs/web-psa2701t.jpg Not so long ago a spectrum analyser was about 6u of rackspace with the kilogrammage to match.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedd Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Not so long ago a spectrum analyser was about 6u of rackspace with the kilogrammage to match....I've got one of those at work!!!!!! Spectrum Analyser is definately what you're after here. The handheld ones are great, but if the budget is tight, you can pick up some quite good ones second hand from various used test equipment suppliers. I've always been a big fan of HP (Now Agilent). Very useful for finding space, but more so for finding interference. Include a good direction aerial in the package and you get a very good direction finder. Alternatively you could get a diploe and direction find using the null at the end of the aerial, looking for a dip as you point at the source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter F Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I have had success using Shure UHF-R recievers and a Laptop to do a scan using Wireless Workbench. This helped out on several occasions and is quite a cheap solution (almost free if you are using UHF-R as your radio mics anyway), although it takes a while to scan through the whole of the range. I can second this suggestion. The Wireless Workbench software is a free download from Shure and works effectively. If you've got a UHF-R receiver anywhere in your hire stock then you've already got your solution. I notice from the website that the software now supports WinRadio models. "Wireless Workbench v5.0 supports WiNRADiO models WR-G305e, WR-G305e/WFM, WR-G305e/WFM/PD, and WR-G33WSM as scanning devices (which connect to the associated PC via USB) in the Frequency Plot tool and the Frequency Compatibility Synthesis and Analysis wizards. The discontinued model WR-1550 is also supported." At around the 400 quid mark this could provide you with a neat, computer based solution. Shure Wireless Workbench The WinRadio gear appears to come complete with it's own scanning software, I've never used it so can't comment on whether or not it's any good compared to Wireless Workbench.WinRadio Scanner Cheers, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyL Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I have had success using Shure UHF-R recievers and a Laptop to do a scan using Wireless Workbench. This helped out on several occasions and is quite a cheap solution (almost free if you are using UHF-R as your radio mics anyway), although it takes a while to scan through the whole of the range. I can second this suggestion. The Wireless Workbench software is a free download from Shure and works effectively. If you've got a UHF-R receiver anywhere in your hire stock then you've already got your solution. Sennheiser Evolution 300 G3, 500 G3 or 2000 series receivers will also act as a Spectrum Analyser with the free to download WSM software (from: www.sennheiser.com). Evolution 300 G2 and 500 G2 with a NET 1 box will do it too. The limitations of using your radio mic receiver(s) in this way regardless of brand is that they are limited to their own tuning range. If you have a BIG signal sitting just outside the tuning range of the receiver it will cause you all sorts of trouble when you try to use the radios but you probably won't know it is there from looking at the spectrum sweep produced by the receiver. So while these features are way better than nothing, ther is no substitute for a proper spectrum analyser that can tune well outside above and below the ranges you will be using. The other trouble with using your RX's as the spec. an. is you can't usually use them during the gig because they are busy doing their 'day job' of being receivers - unless it's a spare one. I have heard good reports of the Thandar one, which is based on a PDA so it also has other uses, not as good as a 'proper' one but as has been pointed out much smaller and lighter than most 'proper' bench instruments . Hameg is another brand to look at for a tried and tested budget spec.an. Of course none of this should be necessary in the UK because it is JFMG's job to allocate clear frequencies to you in the first place in exchange for taking your licence fee. :) Not quite sure why Shez thinks there won't be more that 18 frequencies on a licence, I have had ones with many times that number on them! How do you think the West End musicals manage with their average of 40 channels on most shows now? And allegedly X Factor now uses around 90 frequencies - no, I don't know what they do with them all either! Never mind Live 8, Live Earth, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackerr Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 The TTi handheld spectrum analyzer is pretty nice. Way cheaper than a Rohde & Schwarz. The tern "scanner" in RF analyzer conversations usually means a device that takes relatively large steps between samples. Using your mic receivers would be scanning since they only look at the specific frequencies you can tune the radio to. They ignore the bits between those frequencies. A real spectrum analyzer take a continuous sweep measurement, giving you much more detail. Of the small handheld units the TTi is probably the best, it is widely used here in the US. In addition to a spectrum analyzer though it is even more important to have easy to use and comprehensive intermod calculation software. Both Shure and Sennheiser have good products that are free, and there a few commercial products you have to pay for that are a little more comprehensive. The big daddy is IAS from Professional Wireless Systems. A much less expensive option, that may have better database information for Europe, is RF Guru, which was just released by Stage Research. At a US$60 introductory price it is pretty attractive. Having good information from the regulating authorities, and good intermod software is just as important as a spectrum analyzer. Mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 ;) Not quite sure why Shez thinks there won't be more that 18 frequencies on a licence, I have had ones with many times that number on them! How do you think the West End musicals manage with their average of 40 channels on most shows now? And allegedly X Factor now uses around 90 frequencies - no, I don't know what they do with them all either! Never mind Live 8, Live Earth, etc.I made a wild assumption that Alex was travelling from venue to venue and just using frequencies from a shared licence (14) and or the deregulated band (4). By the time you get to the venue and use your spectrum analyser, it's a bit too late to be applying for coordinated frequencies, which you can of course have a very substantial number of. Happy to be corrected by Alex though :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_kyuss Posted October 15, 2009 Author Share Posted October 15, 2009 thanks all, at the moment I do use work bench + uhfR I am just looking for better options but as the price seems to quiet high even for the cheap ones cheers for everyones help ps does anyone know any good sources of info on Rf? cheers A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on. Sorry I didn't read the last post before I responded. Yes traveling for venue to venue. but we generally block book channels so we have room to move around and (not that I've been outside of the uk but the frequence plan goes on the rider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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