Are there cheap VHF signal strength meters?
 

I can find lots of cheap and cheerful UHF (terrestrial) signal
strength meters for checking aerial alignment etc. but I can't find
any VHF ones (for radio, band II is it, 87.5-108MHz). Are there such
things at the sort of under a tenner price the UHF ones are?

--
Chris Green
·

Are there cheap VHF signal strength meters?
 

Chris Green wrote:
I can find lots of cheap and cheerful UHF (terrestrial) signal
strength meters for checking aerial alignment etc. but I can't find
any VHF ones (for radio, band II is it, 87.5-108MHz). Are there such
things at the sort of under a tenner price the UHF ones are?


The GY560 frequency counter works down to 50MHZ. By measuring
at a distance you can get a rough signal strength value.

Are there cheap VHF signal strength meters?
 

Capitol wrote:
Chris Green wrote:
I can find lots of cheap and cheerful UHF (terrestrial) signal
strength meters for checking aerial alignment etc. but I can't find
any VHF ones (for radio, band II is it, 87.5-108MHz). Are there such
things at the sort of under a tenner price the UHF ones are?


The GY560 frequency counter works down to 50MHZ. By measuring
at a distance you can get a rough signal strength value.

By measuring at a distance from what? I'm after seeing how much
signal is coming down from an aerial.

--
Chris Green
·

Are there cheap VHF signal strength meters?
 

Chris Green wrote:
wrote:

Chris Green wrote:

I can find lots of cheap and cheerful UHF (terrestrial) signal
strength meters for checking aerial alignment etc. but I can't find
any VHF ones (for radio, band II is it, 87.5-108MHz). Are there such
things at the sort of under a tenner price the UHF ones are?



The GY560 frequency counter works down to 50MHZ. By measuring
at a distance you can get a rough signal strength value.

By measuring at a distance from what? I'm after seeing how much
signal is coming down from an aerial.


Have you any attenuators? Resistor network? Alternatively
construct an LC aerial to radiate? Just a couple of thoughts.

Are there cheap VHF signal strength meters?
 

In message , Capitol
writes
Chris Green wrote:
wrote:

Chris Green wrote:

I can find lots of cheap and cheerful UHF (terrestrial) signal
strength meters for checking aerial alignment etc. but I can't find
any VHF ones (for radio, band II is it, 87.5-108MHz). Are there such
things at the sort of under a tenner price the UHF ones are?



The GY560 frequency counter works down to 50MHZ. By
measuring
at a distance you can get a rough signal strength value.

By measuring at a distance from what? I'm after seeing how much
signal is coming down from an aerial.


Have you any attenuators? Resistor network? Alternatively
construct an LC aerial to radiate? Just a couple of thoughts.

If you're looking at something for about £10, it will be something like
an untuned high-gain wideband RF amplifier (with a bit of bandpass
filtering in front), driving a rectifier and a meter (which is
essentially what the terrestrial TV and satellite finder meters are).

I don't know of anything, but I suggest that you ask in
uk.tech.digital-tv.


--
Ian

Are there cheap VHF signal strength meters?
 

On Wed, 29 Jun 2016 16:40:47 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

I can find lots of cheap and cheerful UHF (terrestrial) signal strength
meters for checking aerial alignment etc. but I can't find any VHF ones
(for radio, band II is it, 87.5-108MHz). Are there such things at the
sort of under a tenner price the UHF ones are?

Never used one and not under a tenner, but:

http://www.fringeelectronics.co.uk/signalfinders.html

Make a "Worldwide VHF/UHF TV Signal Finder" that they claim works from
47-230Mhz.

£21.95 from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00235HX..._KgoDxbSS0AM5W

Are there cheap VHF signal strength meters?
 

John wrote:
On Wed, 29 Jun 2016 16:40:47 +0100, Chris Green wrote:


I can find lots of cheap and cheerful UHF (terrestrial) signal strength
meters for checking aerial alignment etc. but I can't find any VHF ones
(for radio, band II is it, 87.5-108MHz). Are there such things at the
sort of under a tenner price the UHF ones are?

Never used one and not under a tenner, but:

http://www.fringeelectronics.co.uk/signalfinders.html

Make a "Worldwide VHF/UHF TV Signal Finder" that they claim works from
47-230Mhz.

£21.95 from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00235HX..._KgoDxbSS0AM5W



I have the UHF only one and it is excellent.

Are there cheap VHF signal strength meters?
 

In article , John
scribeth thus
On Wed, 29 Jun 2016 16:40:47 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

I can find lots of cheap and cheerful UHF (terrestrial) signal strength
meters for checking aerial alignment etc. but I can't find any VHF ones
(for radio, band II is it, 87.5-108MHz). Are there such things at the
sort of under a tenner price the UHF ones are?

Never used one and not under a tenner, but:

http://www.fringeelectronics.co.uk/signalfinders.html

Make a "Worldwide VHF/UHF TV Signal Finder" that they claim works from
47-230Mhz.

£21.95 from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00235HX..._KgoDxbSS0AM5W




Ah but they don't make any mention of FM radio just TV and it does look
very wideband as they themselves say;

Because of the wide band nature of this signal finder, erroneous
readings may occur if used in close proximity of transmitter towers
(cell phone, tetra etc) and wireless equipment


If the OP just wants to line up an FM aerial he might be better off
getting a second-hand tuner thats got a meter type signal strength meter
on it...

--
Tony Sayer

Are there cheap VHF signal strength meters?
 

tony sayer wrote:
In ,
scribeth thus

On Wed, 29 Jun 2016 16:40:47 +0100, Chris Green wrote:


I can find lots of cheap and cheerful UHF (terrestrial) signal strength
meters for checking aerial alignment etc. but I can't find any VHF ones
(for radio, band II is it, 87.5-108MHz). Are there such things at the
sort of under a tenner price the UHF ones are?

Never used one and not under a tenner, but:

http://www.fringeelectronics.co.uk/signalfinders.html

Make a "Worldwide VHF/UHF TV Signal Finder" that they claim works from
47-230Mhz.

£21.95 from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00235HX..._KgoDxbSS0AM5W




Ah but they don't make any mention of FM radio just TV and it does look
very wideband as they themselves say;

Because of the wide band nature of this signal finder, erroneous
readings may occur if used in close proximity of transmitter towers
(cell phone, tetra etc) and wireless equipment


If the OP just wants to line up an FM aerial he might be better off
getting a second-hand tuner thats got a meter type signal strength meter
on it...


Agreed.

Are there cheap VHF signal strength meters?
 

If the OP just wants to line up an FM aerial he might be better off
getting a second-hand tuner thats got a meter type signal strength meter
on it...


Agreed.

Thanks for the various ideas, I think the above is probably the way to
go.

--
Chris Green
·