Troubleshooting Your RF Explorer Spectrum Analyzer

When it comes to measuring or detecting radio signal transmissions and RF energy then an RF spectrum analyzer is the tool of choice -- in fact, it is the only tool. Often times a user will immediately begin using the device to solve a wireless problem, and when they don't observe what they think is the expected result then they may assume there is something wrong with the device. An RF spectrum analyzer is simply a tool -- like any other. And your chances of success depend as much on your understanding of the problem you are trying to solve as well as the tool you are using. Troubleshooting wireless issues requires that you be a good detective and it also requires some experimentation. If you approach the problem with preconceived notions of what the expected result should be and your notions are wrong -- then you won't solve the problem.

When you first begin using the RF Explorer device you might want to convince yourself it really does measure RF signals. In this way you'll gain confidence the device is working as expected. The best way to become familiar with an RF spectrum analyzer is to begin measuring something that is known -- e.g. FM stations in the 88 - 108 MHz frequency range (if you have a model 3G Combo), or DTV stations in the 580 - 650 MHz frequency range (if you have a model WSUB1G).

When scanning the frequency range 88 - 108 MHz you should see a result similar to the one below -- the narrow peaks represent FM broadcast stations.

When scanning the frequency range 580 - 650 MHz you should see a result similar to the one below -- the broad peaks represent DTV broadcast stations.

The RF Explorer spectrum analyzer has excellent performance characteristics. How well the device detects an RF signal depends more on the nature of the signal than on the device. In other words, the amplitude of an RF peak (as displayed by the analyzer) depends on: