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External signal strength meter?

jbrose

jbrose

New Member
Is there an inexpensive (<$50) device that will work effectively as an external signal strength meter for pointing directional FM antenna? I love the sound of my Sony ST J75 (and Pioneer F-90 for that matter) but neither has an signal strength analog meter, just crude led increments. Now that I am using a directional Yagi I would like to get the most out of it...
 
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I think what you're describing is just a <$50 (used) tuner having an analog (or perhaps higher rez bar graph display) signal strength meter but perhaps someone will have an alternative to suggest.

If you're OK with DIY, it's probably possible to connect an analog voltmeter to whatever is driving the input to your few-LED bar display and get what you want that way.
 
Really best to find as stated a cheap analog tuner. Would suggest one with a multi-path output. Another option is a tuner with scope outputs and a cheap oscope with X/Y function and you can monitor both strength and MP at the same time.
 
A Software Defined Radio (SDR) such as the RTL-SDR, coupled with the software CubicSDR can offer a visual representation of signal strength, sort of a poor mans field strength meter.

An example:

wgmc-330.png
 
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The Hitach FT-007 had something I wish more tuners had: a digital signal strength meter reading in dBf. I found it very useful when tuning a Magnum Dynalab Signal Sleuth. It is a well-regarded tuner.

Hitachi's FT-5500 Mk II has the same feature.

There is another Japanese tuner that has multipath output jacks; you can listen and use them to optimize antenna placement. I can't identify it at the moment.

If an oscilloscope has poor Wife Acceptance Factor in your living room, one of these might be handy.
 
You can add an external tuning eye tube as shown here:


My favourite tuning eye tube is the 6AL7GT. It has two square sections at the top which can have one connected to ground and the other to the discriminator / ratio detector output. It has a rectangular section at the bottom for connection to the signal strength source (limiter grid at the time it came out). When both rectangles at the top are at the same height, you are tuned in.

There are a lot of designs here:

 
KiM3Ce said:
The Hitach FT-007 had something I wish more tuners had: a digital signal strength meter reading in dBf. I found it very useful when tuning a Magnum Dynalab Signal Sleuth. It is a well-regarded tuner.

Hitachi's FT-5500 Mk II has the same feature.

There is another Japanese tuner that has multipath output jacks; you can listen and use them to optimize antenna placement. I can't identify it at the moment.

If an oscilloscope has poor Wife Acceptance Factor in your living room, one of these might be handy.
Click to expand...
The Onkyo T-4055 has a switch on the back for an audio output of the multipath.
 
The Japanese tuner that can send multipath output to the output jacks at the push of a button is the Nikko NT-850.
 
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