What frequency "testor, counter, meter" for my beginner laboratory? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: renerelire
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 06, 2019, 08:20:24 am
content: Hi!If so, witch one of these devices is complete and precise enough and why ? I'm trying to build an electronic laboratory and I don't know exactly what those devices are suppose to do. I'd like to at least repair and maybe built some radio normal and short waves, time clocks. I'm very beginner. I don't want to wait for an used one.1 -SF-103 Portable Frequency Counter Tester Meter 2MHz-2.8GHz+TFT Color Display JJhttps://www.ebay.ca/itm/SF-103-Portable-Frequency-Counter-Tester-Meter-2MHz-2-8GHz-TFT-Color-Display-JJ/323746285650?hash=item4b60c84852:g:HLsAAOSwT0NbV9kB2-VC3165 Radio Frequency Counter RF Meter 0.01Hz - 2.4GHz LED Professional Testerhttps://www.ebay.ca/itm/VC3165-Radio-Frequency-Counter-RF-Meter-0-01Hz-2-4GHz-LED-Professional-Tester/182664528358?hash=item2a87a781e6:g:ZgsAAOSwTVtZZcZy3-Zhaoxin HC-F2700L Frequency Counter 10Hz To 2700Mhz 2.7G ykhttps://www.ebay.ca/itm/Zhaoxin-HC-F2700L-Frequency-Counter-10Hz-To-2700Mhz-2-7G-yk/332672452584?hash=item4d74d2c7e8:g:WPwAAOSwSUdbZC7Z4-Victor VC2000 Radio High Frequency Counter RF Meter 10Hz-2.4GHz Tester 8 Digit Shttps://www.ebay.ca/itm/Victor-VC2000-Radio-High-Frequency-Counter-RF-Meter-10Hz-2-4GHz-Tester-8-Digit-S/271262563209?hash=item3f28823b89:g:bQ0AAOxy2E1SFIm45-#2035--ATTEN AT-F1000C FREQUENCY COUNTERhttps://www.ebay.ca/itm/2035-ATTEN-AT-F1000C-FREQUENCY-COUNTER/252701122815?hash=item3ad62920ff:g:EHgAAOSw9GhYZLqm6-2140-ATTEN AT-F2700C FREQUENCY COUNTER TESTERhttps://www.ebay.ca/itm/2140-ATTEN-AT-F2700C-FREQUENCY-COUNTER-TESTER/252727793156?hash=item3ad7c01604:g:rogAAOSwo4pYfXQW

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2019, 11:38:13 am
content: pay attention to how low they go if it matters to you.i have a cheap chinese counter that goes upto 2.4GHz and is very accurate - cost me about €10 but it wont go down into the 2digit KHz area.so i cant use it to check 32.768KHz "clock crystals" that often feed PLL's

author: jpb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2019, 11:54:57 am
content: If you're a beginner you probably should start with just a cheap simple counter. Counters vary in price from £10 to £thousands.The general features to look out for are:1. As stj says, the low end frequency.2. Does it allow an external 10MHz reference?3. Is it a reciprocal counter - that is does it count period using its own oscillator which gives much more accurate results for low frequencies.4. Does it have some sort of interpolation (so it can measure down to less than a whole cycle of its own clock).5. Can it do back-to-back or continuous measurements or is there a gap between them.6. Does it do time measurement between channels (start on channel A and stop on B for instance).7. Does it have a computer interface (USB/ethernet are more useful than GPIB which requires expensive controllers/cables - RS232 is OK but probably requires an adapter).8. Does it do things like time stamping and line fitting to points (only in the more expensive counters so probably not worth worrying about).9. How good is its own internal oscillator? (Not that important if you can use an external reference such as a GPSDO or just a good OCXO off ebay.)Counters with 4. & 5. are the more expensive ones. 4. is often given as one shot resolution (in the range 25psecs to 250psecs or so for counters with interpolation).You can have 5. without 4., as in the TTi counters which are reciprocal and can take back to back measurements but don't have interpolation.Then there are user interface issues such as is the display easy to use/backlit and is there a battery option if you get into ham radio and want to have it portable.

author: renerelire
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 06, 2019, 01:06:29 pm
content: Quote from: stj on April 06, 2019, 11:38:13 amThanks... I'll check for that.

author: renerelire
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 06, 2019, 01:12:34 pm
content: Quote from: jpb on April 06, 2019, 11:54:57 amWow, thanks for you time and answer.I have some big work to do.Even I'm a beginner, I don't like to be limited but I don't want to buy something not necessary. I'll go with advice while searching and I might understand a bit more what I'm looking for.

author: Datman
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2019, 04:22:14 pm
content: Quote from: stj on April 06, 2019, 11:38:13 amLook at my posts in this topic:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ten-dollar-pic-100khz-2-4ghz-frequency-counter/msg2265540/#msg2265540

author: lordvader88
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2019, 01:26:40 am
content: How good of a AF to say a few MHz, frequency counter, can be made with logic chips like CD4000 or 74LS ?

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 18, 2019, 04:22:56 am
content: For the cost of buying a cheap module from China, why would you even bother?

author: lordvader88
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2019, 09:17:09 pm
content: Because I have some cd4000 and other chips, that probably could be made into a basic FC, and it would be cool. I've made counters before, and F2V circuits, I should try to make something complicated without a schematic for once