Category: Test Equipment

The Rockseed RS305P programmable power supply is a single-output high-precision DC supply, microprocessor controlled with LED display of voltage, current and power at the same time.

Every electronics workbench should have at least a couple of power supplies available especially when testing out equipment. My radio equipment is run from a 50amp power supply, and I have a second 45amp supply for bench testing. I also use a Rockseed RS305P bench supply when working on equipment or projects where I need to limit either the voltage or current.

The MSA-4901 is a spectrum analyser designed to cover the 1 to 300MHz range. The oscilloscope is a time domain type in which the frequency domain and vertical axis are calibrated in logarithmic form.

Although this unit is not as complex as high-end laboratory grade instruments, it serves my purpose. It has to be mentioned that my Hantek DSO5102 digital oscilloscope has an FFT function which mathematically emulates a spectrum analyser.

The Schlumberger Solatron 7150plus is a compact bench/portable, mains-operated multimeter, similar to the popular HP/Agilent 34401A, which offers 5½ / 6½ digits resolution and an accuracy to 0.005%.

The meter is built in good quality 1980s technology using through-hole components on a motherboard, carrying power supply, processor, IEEE488 (HPIB, GPIB) interface and a display board, plus a galvanically isolated, separate analogue/floating logic board with its own processor controlling the A/D conversion and communicating serially with the base unit. The two boards are separated by an aluminium shield/chassis.

The Racal-Dana 9008 modulation meter allows easy and accurate measurement of modulation levels on RF signals.

There really isn’t much to say about a modulation meter, as it’s name describes what it does perfectly – Modulation meters measure degrees of modulation in a modulated signal.

To compliment the older analogue Tektronix oscilloscope, I have at my disposal a Hantek digital oscilloscope.

Although this instrument is a fairly low cost entry level digital scope, it performs perfectly well for my needs. The Hantek DSO5102B which is a dual channel 100 Mhz unit with 1 GS/a real time sampling rate and a more than adequate 1 MB memory depth (sample points) with a 7” LCD.

The Racal 9081 signal generator, with its wide bandwidth and high level range capability, is ideal for many general-purpose RF laboratory or production test applications.

The signal generator is designed for testing of radio communications equipment. Supplied in large numbers to the military, and built with no consideration to cost!