Re: LF: Re: HP 3586C selective level meter for LF and MF

["Alan Melia" <alan.melia@btinternet.com>]



Hi Terry I have the 12 and a 3 both with PS and SPM. They do work if you are aware of likely problems but yes they need some external help usually. I feel it is important that potential buyers realise that they are not receivers like they are probably used to. They are brilliant and useful pieces of test gear and the W&G kit is very ruggedly made.......you need to be a bit rugged yourself to hump some of it around :-))

 

Alan

G3NYK

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Terry Maurice

To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org

Sent: Friday, May 01, 2015 6:06 PM

Subject: Re: LF: Re: HP 3586C selective level meter for LF and MF

Hi Alan

I would be interested to know which W&G selective level meters you have.  I have the SPM-16 and the SPM-19 and use them with a preamp and AM broadcast band notch filter.  They seem to work reasonably well and signals compare well to my Flex 5000 with a Palomar Engineering VLF upconverter.  However, I live in Canada and we have very little in the way of MW stations other than NDBs operating on the bands.  I do from time to time pick up MW stations from France, Germany and Iceland.

Terry

On 07/04/2015 19:40, Alan Melia wrote:

Hi Iban, They do work, but you must realise they are not intended as radio receivers, and in many aspects their performance as radios is compromised by their design as line measuring instruments. Problems include IMD and lack of front end filtering, some lack audio output. Yes you can get round this or you can be lucky that you location and antenna help mitigate the problems. 

 

You might be better to consider an SDR these days but make sure it really cover the frequencies of interest. Graham G0NBD has information on direct sampling mods to the DVT-B dongles. In Europe there are a lot more LF signals from very strong stations than in the US so be careful of US opinions that rate these as receivers. I have a couple of W&G units which while useful as test equipment are less than brilliant and barely worth their cost as receivers.

 

Alan

G3NYK

----- Original Message -----

From: Iban Cardona

To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org

Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2015 11:30 PM

Subject: LF: HP 3586C selective level meter for LF and MF

Hi,

I'm looking to purchase a 3586C. Somebody is using it? 

Can give-me feedback about to use in 136 and 477 kHz?

Thanks for advance

73! Iban

eb3frn

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