Spectrum Analyzer
 

Does anyone know of a software package that can provide a spectrum analyzer in the 470Mhz to 900Mhz range?? I see plenty of analyzers for audio and actually found a couple for Wi-Fi scanning. I work in professional audio and deal with wireless microphones and wireless IFBs so having a spectrum analyzer that operates in that range would be greatly helpful. I'm already using a piece of software over VMware called IAS that shows harmonics, and intermod, but it is based off of the FCC database. I'm more looking for something that can spot the low power/close proximity stuff that pops up in my range. Thanks if anyone knows anything. I'll keep looking in the mean time.

There should be plenty out there:
http://freshmeat.net/search?q=spectr...&submit=Search
http://sourceforge.net/search/?words...&Search=Search

If I understand your question you want some realtime frequency band measurements. I might generalize that most software packages are designed for audio which uses the PC sound card which will not work for your needs. Are you really looking for a hardware/software solution? If you already have some hardware what is the make/model?

You took the words out of my...fingers: you still need some kind of hardware to digitize those signals with at least the Nyquist speed to get them into your computer in the first place. That device for GNU Radio fits the bill, but I don't know if there are any software spec-ans for it. There are also some windows-only solutions available that have both hardware and software, but as a ham radio guy, I'd love to know some open-source ones.

Mike

I've been looking, but nothing going. I thought I explained it well, but it happens everywhere I post this question. Someone always posts links to several audio level (20hz-20khz usually) spectrum analyzers. There was one project on sourceforge for a 45-900Mhz spectrum analyzer but it was dead as in never started. I've looked at the windows units from Katzman (sp?) and the like, but I'm curious if I could get them to work under VMWare or Wine in Linux. I just don't have the money to take a chance on it. Although I was thinking about buying a Dell 7 with XP and just running it on that. Kinda dedicated RF laptop because I could also use it to run Lectro's IAS software too.

Kaltman Creations - I had to look it up :)

IMO you have not explained your needs very well.

Can you provide a link?

My understanding of this sentence is that you want something to monitor signals real time. So can you provide some further information

If you reach the point of dedicated hardware, you might as well jump for a real spectrum analyzer from HP, Tektronix, etc. Since you're under 1 GHz, finding used stuff on E-Bay or new Chinese crap should be easy and relatively cheap--maybe under a grand! A (possibly) cheaper but harder-to-use solution would be a scanner that can demod AM (and preferably SSB/CW): examples would be the Yaesu VR-5000 or Icom IC-(PC)R-[1|2|9]500 high-end scanners/communications receivers.

Mike