Seeking Advice On Hunting Sweep Generator At Hamfest

(1/5) > >>

KN4SMF:
This next weekend of 3-8-24 is the Charlotte NC hamfest. I intend to look for a sweep generator that is most useful on AM HF use, with some slight use for FM 88-108 usage, althought the FM is certainly not particularly important. I do NOT want a TV-FM sweep generator. Just a common, affordable but dependable vintage sweep generator for AM HF alignment. I'm posting to ask for makes of models to look out for. Thank you.

Pete, WA2CWA:
Wavetek has made some very nice and accurate sweep generators over the years.
Prices and functions vary but typically more accurate and built well then your Eico, Knight, Heath, or Precision consumer grade stuff.

KD1SH:
I use two sweepers: the Hewlett Packard 3314A, https://4gte.com/products/hp-agilent-3314a-20-mhz-function-generator/
and the Hewlett Packard 8601A, https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=4899
Of the two, the 3314A is more modern, with lots of programmable wiz-bang features, but it only goes to 20mhz, which might be a problem if you want to work with FM broadcast receivers. Otherwise, it's versatile and stable.
The 8601A is older, but will go to 110mhz, and is also quite stable, but without all the digital bling. 
Both are readily available and affordable at hamfests, or eBay, as well as from reconditioned test equipment outlets, but expect to pay to dollar to those operations.
There are also a lot of inexpensive Chicom offerings on Amazon and such, but those are a long way from HP quality, and programming them is often weird—like Baofeng-weird—and they're not as much fun to own as vintage gear. Of course, you take your chances with vintage stuff, too, even with quality names like HP, Fluke, or Wavetek.

KD6VXI:
I just bought an arbitrary waveform generator months ago.

Amazing.  Just amazing.

Highly recommended.  I think I spent less than 250 shipped on it, brand new.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

KN4SMF:
Seems like I was looking at a BK or similar a few months ago. I wonder what Leader has got in good vintage gear. I am looking for HF AM sweep more than anything else. A TV/FM model would be a big disappointment.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page