Ultra-Portable Spectrum Analyzer Supports 6 GHz to 20 GHz

March 18, 2021

With high sensitivity, long battery life, and a compact form factor, this instrument serves the needs of wireless field engineers and technicians.

David Maliniak

Related To: Microwaves & RF

Field engineers and technicians performing link planning, installation, site acceptance, maintenance, and troubleshooting of wireless networks need reliable and highly portable test instruments to get their jobs done. With coverage of 6 GHz to 20 GHz, SAF Tehnika has expanded its Spectrum Compact family of ultra-portable handheld microwave spectrum analyzers with a model that delivers durability at affordable pricing

The new instrument has high sensitivity of -110 dBm at 30 kHz resolution bandwidth, long battery life of up to 4 hours, and instant-on functionality for quick start-up and operation. It all comes in a rugged, ultra-compact form factor that measures only 135 x 83 x 34 mm (5.31 × 3.27 × 1.34 in.) and weighs 0.57 kg (20.11 oz). It's suited for deployment by mobile carriers, telecommunications professionals, internet service providers (ISPs), and contractors responsible for regulatory and compliance, drone applications, and satellite operation.

Every aspect of the Spectrum Compact family of instruments is designed to address the challenges of field applications. Like other models, the new 6- to 20-GHz handheld spectrum analyzer has a resistive touchscreen for operation with gloves, and high contrast and full display modes for easy readability in bright light environments. Durable thumbscrews for the waveguide adapter connections help the analyzer to withstand harsh environments. Users may save spectrum traces in the onboard 8-GB of memory for offline analysis, investigation, and reporting using the Spectrum Manager PC software.

All of the Spectrum Compact devices are well suited for mobile operators, carriers, and tower installation crews deploying 5G networks, Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs), local government institutions, public-safety departments, and critical network-infrastructure owners. Field engineers and technicians can use the ultra-portable handheld microwave spectrum analyzers to conduct site surveys, radio parameter verification, antenna alignment, interference detection, line-of-sight verification, signal strength mapping, and interference hunting.

SAF Tehnika has developed a virtual demo of Spectrum Compact for viewing.

About the Author

David Maliniak | Executive Editor, Microwaves & RF

I am Executive Editor of Microwaves & RF, an all-digital publication that broadly covers all aspects of wireless communications. More particularly, we're keeping a close eye on technologies in the consumer-oriented 5G, 6G, IoT, M2M, and V2X markets, in which much of the wireless market's growth will occur in this decade and beyond. I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, developers, and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

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About me:

In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy, leaving to rejoin the EOEM B2B publishing world in January 2020. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.