Panoramic spectrum analysis

It adds to the tuner's cost without providing a feature most users need.

You can buy an inexpensive WiFi detector at RatShack and elsewhere.

See above.

FM is no longer a significant program source for many listeners, especially with the decline in classical and jazz stations.

I would like it for diagnostic purposes, to see when (and by how much) my cable company's signal drops off, as well as which nearby WiFi signals are experiencing similar problems. I use RCN and their signal wavers around like mad. No app l know of can show any of this: Most of them are dependent on the beacon to show just whether there is anything there or not and how strong it is when it is beaconing. I wonder if what I am asking for is a practical impossibility? Surely routers are transmitting all the time even if the beacon only transmits at certain intervals. It would b interesting to see an app like this show things like packet loss etc.

ly

Dont take your point: In my area there are plenty of classical choices and with a knob tuner, it is interesting to see where the stations are and how strong they are, though this signal strength business doesnt seem to be as important as it is with WiFi.

Where, pray tell, are classical stations that numerous?

You're fortunate, but for the country as a whole, classical and jazz are in a decline. And tuners are made to sell throughout a country, not just in one area.

Those are not spectrum analyzers. I am interested in talking with anyone who has purchased the Airsleuth spectrum analyzer, which is uses HomeRF2 NICs, to learn about installation details you encounter. Details of the product are here:

If you are serious about doing some signal and spectrum monitoring in the WiFi bands, this may be a useful choice. I have the hardware but am interested in hearing of the installation experience another user encounters with either the Airsleuth-Pro or Airsleuth-Lite product.

Michael

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Moderately expensive Wi-Fi spectrum analyzers are common: (Wi-Spy) (Bumblebee)

There are also some based on a Proxim FHSS PCMCIA card (which doesn't work using XP or Vista).

You can also build your own:

Note that you really don't need to build or buy a spectrum analyzer that covers from 0.1 to 6GHz to see Wi-Fi. You only need something that works up to perhaps 500MHz. Precede that with a local oscillator, mixer (downconverter), preamp, and filter, to cover the desired frequency range. In other words, buy the complicated IF and display section and build your own front end. There will be some mixing artifacts, but they're fairly easy to detect. If you want better results (i.e. better dynamic range fewer spurs), a real spectrum analyzer is far more useful. Fluke, Tek, Agilent, Anaritsu, etc all make portable devices in the $3,000 and up price range.

As for the demise of classical music FM stations, in the Monterey Bay area, we have KBOQ:

In the SF Bay area, there is KDFC:

Some of the college stations play classical music, but not full time.

The magic buzzword is "panadapter". Search Google for lots of hits. For fairly narrowband applications, it's sometimes called a "waterfall" display.

The feature is found on some AOR scanners. All the SDR (software defined radio) tuners have panadapters in software. For example: (see photos) Any synthesized receiver that covers the FM band can have this feature, but you need direct access to the frequency control and IF output. The panadapter sweeps the frequency range, and displays the detected signal strength versus frequency on an x-y display.

On 3/29/2009 8:45 AM Jeff Liebermann spake thus:

... which is only a faint shadow of its former self, now playing nothing but "easy listening" classical pieces and war horses.

When I moved here, not only were there 2 FM classical stations, but KDFC broadcast in *AM* as well (there were a couple of other classical AM stations as well). So I'd say classical music radio is in a rather steep decline.