#65 Shop Talk Sniffing RF signals safely

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Nice little sniffer Buddy. I think all of us "RF seasoned fellas" have done a lot worse than that tee in our time :^/ I'm glad to see your concern for safety. Keep up the great video's :^) TTYSoon.

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Paul. You are right about that. But I don't want my bad habits to rub off on the new folk getting into repairing older rigs. Always best to play it safe.

[@pbk380]

Very nice, I recently picked up a spectrum analyzer, and will be building a pair of these sniffers.

[@jaybats7865]

Great tool. Having the right tool for the right job is very important as you well know. But making your own tool is amazing. Thanks Buddy 👍

[@11busyboy]

I have been an electronics technician for 23 years. I an also a ham radio operator in Canada. I have made a few of this and they work well. I always have extras in case I loose or break one. Very good video.

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Henry. Spares are a good thing to have.

[@adrianclark9581]

Greetings from England an absolute fantastic lesson and demo many thanks buddy.

[@TheRadioShop]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@JROrg2009]

@@TheRadioShop From: Joseph Rotello 06/21/2021 Overall excellent video and thank you ! QUESTION(S): For the RF loop sniffer, what kind of coax ? RG-58 solid (or) RG-58 A/U stranded (or) RG-174 ? Presuming 50 ohm cable impedance is desired ? I would test for loop wire size for an "HF" loop and then for one that could go to the 200 MHz rating of the DSO I use. Same loop could be used in freq counter, spectrum analyzer and of course 'scope as well.

[@MrHarveyluke]

Glad you did this video as a follow up. When I saw the video this weekend, I thought the BNC Tee was kind of a clunky way to pick up signal, but the safety factor needed to be addressed. Lot of difference in sticking something in that Cobra xcvr as compared to the Collins xcvr. I learned my electronics in the 60's where you really were careful in poking around in a circuit. 73, Harvey KM4JA in Alabama

[@TheRadioShop]

The tee actually works great and is a bit directional. But, there is the safety factor. I don't want to miss lead folks. Specially the new ones. Better safe now and live tomorrow. Most of the stuff I work on is loaded with high voltage. Nothing like that little cobra. Thanks Harvey.

[@mikesradiorepair]

Great tip Buddy. Made a set of those years ago. Was going to buy a set of commercially made ones and almost had a heart attack when I saw the price. Would think they make them out of solid platinum. Home made works just fine.

[@TheRadioShop]

Gosh yes, these thing get expensive! I much rather make mine. Save the pennies for later. Plus the fun of building something. It only takes a few minutes to do.

[@TRXLab]

very good sniffer Buddy and save way to do it! Thumps up great video. Thanks for sharing 73

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Peter. Safe is much better . Thanks for stopping in.

[@DonDegidio]

Buddy, Great advice and video. I also made a sniffer years ago, but got packed away when my ham days dwindled due to an auto accident. Getting back into ham again and not finding all the test gear I once had. Must have moved it all into a storage unit I rent. 73 WB3BJU

[@TheRadioShop]

Thank you Donald. I still have gear packed away. Hope you are doing better since the accident.

[@saturn5tony]

Very cool sniffer tip Buddy, thx4sharing, and always good to play it safe.

[@TheRadioShop]

You are very welcome Tony.

[@RC-Heli835]

Great stuff man! I know its an old video but its new to me. This saves a lot of time by avoiding removing crystals to test them in a tester. I bought the frequency counter kit on ebay that you built in one of your videos. I believe the crystal has to be removed to use it. Do you suppose that some leads could be plugged into the tester to test the crystal in circuit? Thanks for sharing!

[@SoddingaboutSi]

Another method is to use a X1 scope probe and connect the ground clip to the probe tip. Works great.

[@TheRadioShop]

I agree Simon. Works like a charm.

[@larryk4mu240]

Hi Buddy, Great Tech tip, many thanks. The tip about the hand cleaner a while back was also good. 73

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Larry. I just did not feel right about the way I shown that in video 64 and had to make it right.

[@larryk4mu240]

Didn't bother me any, I thought it was great! Last 6 or 8 years before I retired I worked on a full voltage test floor with voltages up to 6,900 VAC on primary fused at 350 Amps.When we blew a fuse WE BLEW A FUSE! Sometimes we would hi-pot at 30kv 1/2 amp. But I understand, you would not want anyone to get bit by them not following your warning or not being careful. You're good that way. Now, when is the next tip? :>)

[@supyrow]

induction probes are very handy, Thanks Buddy! 73!

[@TheRadioShop]

Yes they are, when doing it safe :-)

[@VK2UAL]

Gday Mate from vk2ual in Sydney, I always enjoy your work, thanks for putting in all the effort it is greatly appreciated. You have a good one 73z Richard vk2ual

[@booradleysgardenllcchadtow4141]

Thank you for the education

[@cassvirgillo3395]

Hi Buddy, Speaking of 'Sniffers', where it might be for small FM TX, Andy Davies by the Sea, has a video, About Radio #89 - Mini TX 'Sniffer', detector test probe, that consists of a small coil, a Germanium Diode, BAT85, 1N34, etc. and a 0.1 (104) uF capacitor. It connects to a DVM and will only show if oscillating. Andy Davies, GW0JXM. Be good, C.

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Cass for that/ I will look that up and see how it is.

[@CBRadioWayBack10-4]

I must admit i do use stuff like this for the 455 mixer and such, but never thought about it on an analyser for other stuff.. but would you have not been better off using better coax as well ??

[@pierrelataillade7564]

Very good information.... I wonder if this will work on a old radio called Sonar G that's off freq..

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks Pierre. I am not sure but will check on that.

[@jimzradios6155]

Great video as always. Thank you.

[@jimcastillo8950]

Hi Buddy, I have taken electronics back in my day and would like to get back into it in my home as my hobby and to give me something to do in my retirement days. I have a Leaders LBO-526 oscilloscope, Tenma Audio generator 1 MHz, and a Tenma DC power supply. What other equipment should a bench have? I forgot to mention I have a couple of digital meters.

[@TheRadioShop]

Hi Jim, It really depends on just what you are going to be working on. You sound like you have covered the basic stuff already. If you are going to work on radio or RF related stuff than some type of signal generator. Also maybe a function generator for other projects.

[@fo4mm209]

I have tons of 75 ohms, i dont think this difference with 50 ohms will seriously affect response ? Thanks for this video 73 de FO4MM, tahiti

[@TheRadioShop]

75 ohm will work.

[@tejeshwvardhan1165]

what if you increase the number of turn? will sensivity increase?

[@JROrg2009]

For the RF loop sniffer, what kind of coax ? RG-58 solid (or) RG-58 A/U stranded (or) RG-174 ? Presuming 50 ohm impedance is desired ?

[@TheRadioShop]

I use a lot of RG-174 for these projects. Yes 50 ohms.

[@JROrg2009]

@@TheRadioShop Forgot to say overall excellent video and thank you ! Comment: I would test for loop wire size or gauge for an "HF" loop and then for one that could go to the 200 MHz rating of the DSO I use. Same loop could be used in freq counter, spectrum analyzer and of course 'scope as well.

[@gwheeler7105]

Wouldn't more turns of wire up the signal or is their a reason for only 2 turns?

[@Tom-W7TMD]

Can I do the same thing with a BK 1474 O scope?

[@jimcastillo8950]

Buddy, what coax cable should be used? what number, and what length?

[@VintageElectronicsGeek]

Those stupid comment failures are very problematic! I run into that often, the best fix I have found to work is actually really simple.....when you're unable to comment, just simple start playing the video and then hit comment and your reply should post! ~Jack, VEG

[@NickBlume]

I need to turn off everything period (for an isolation project with lucid dreams used as a monitor). How do i turn off everything including rf signals? I bought 3000lbs of force in magnets and that didn't work and they didn't even turn off my cell phone. I am about to try out turning on and off electromagnets, will that work? How do you find a spectrum of all the signals and vibrations in the air to block in the first place, is that a use of an Oscilliscope with different antennas like i saw in one of your videos?

[@CT1JRZ]

Well done. Safe first. Thanks for sharing. 73

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks, Safe today live tomorrow.

[@DextersTechLab]

Regarding the problem not being able to comment. I have had the same issue. The reply button is there and you can type the message but when you click post it just does nothing. I found if i went back a week or so later i was able to post a reply where previously i wasn't. So i think it's some weird problem with youtube but it does seem to be temporary but very annoying.

[@TheRadioShop]

I will give that a try and see if it works. Thanks for that tip!

[@keystonecountryboy]

Why dose the t/r port say 150w max if u can't key into it? I have a 1200 but no manual

[@TheRadioShop]

You can download the manual online. User and service. You can key into the jack, the dummy load is bad in my unit so I cannot.

[@PedroGonzalez-yr7nw]

Im interested in fix a 89xlr cb base...n mabe ad. Chanels...

[@justinruth9729]

Nice bench ..

[@Rebel9668]

I had that problem for a while of not being able to receive replies. That was my own fault unknowingly. I had turned off the reply section in the youtube tools. At that time I didn't even know they had a private message thing on youtube either, so when folks wrote to me on message I didn't see that either. Finally I suppose out of exasperation John from Arkansas (Joernone) mentioned me in one of his videos telling me he couldn't reply to my comments. I went into my tools section and fixed it then and playing around with it I also discovered youtube messages and saw that I had several of those as well, lol. Take care, Gary

[@TheRadioShop]

Only seems to be a few folks in a thread that I cannot reply to. If it was set to no replies then none would work? I think it is a KZbin glitch. After reading a bit on the web today I see it happens to a lot of folks.

[@dennisqwertyuiop]

be sure you you use your new probe, even us old tecs can make a mistake, I made my NFP some time ago using a small plastic tube where you used heatshring be safe

[@TheRadioShop]

That plastic tube idea sounds great. May make a few like that using old ink pens. Great tip Dennis. You are right. We old folks can make mistakes.

[@dennisqwertyuiop]

yes they were old ink pen tubes

[@TheRadioShop]

Great, All kind of uses for those things.

[@bundylovess]

Grate tip mate

[@TheRadioShop]

Thanks allan.

[@74vfd]

Thank you for this useful video. I am a fan of electronics and radio repairs, and a little 'I follow your useful video. Thanks you for your work. 73 de IZ0FVJ FABRIZIO

[@TheRadioShop]

And thank you Fabrizio for watching. Good to know I have folks in Italy viewing.

[@DJCaverna]

:)