Red Wave Radio

I heard it mentioned somewhere that a freq counter (about $99) from
radio shack could be used to aquire freq from people transmitting close
to you. How is this done and is the freq counter all that is needed?
What kind of limits (1 Hz to 1G Hz ?) and range does it have. Could I
follow a cop and tell what freq they are Txing on? or maybe park at the
station and get all the freq?

: I heard it mentioned somewhere that a freq counter (about $99) from
: radio shack could be used to aquire freq from people transmitting close
: to you. How is this done and is the freq counter all that is needed?
: What kind of limits (1 Hz to 1G Hz ?) and range does it have. Could I
: follow a cop and tell what freq they are Txing on? or maybe park at the
: station and get all the freq?
:

Tim,

I've got a Radio Shack RF Frequency Counter, and it works with the
telescoping antenna that comes with the device. You can be near
just about any radio transmitter and it should register the frequency
when it transmits.  Only drawback is that it does not have a hold
button so you can't easily make note of the number.  However, the unit can be
modified (I did it, it works) to have a hold button.  The unit
measures 1MHz to something like a couple GHz, I don't exactly
remember the high limit (the unit's at home).  I got it for
under $100 bucks at Radio Shack.  Good unit, well built, feels
good in the hand.

Mike

--
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Michael Mayer, Senior Technical Support Engineer      Amateur Radio KB8RJO
Visual Numerics, Inc.  32915 Aurora Rd.  Suite 160, Solon OH  44139  USA

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button.

Could you e-mail me the mod for adding a hold button to my Radio Shack
frequency counter?

Warren Whitby

73s de KE4ITL

please email me too. Thanks!

--- Chris Tai Chan

I got enough responses wanting the hold-button mod I figured
I'd post it.  Hope it helps one and all!

-----

How to add a hold function to the Radio Shack RF Frequency Counter:

Ground TP 17.  In the schematic, TP17 is pin one of U3, connected to
+5V thru a 47k resistor.  On the circuit board, TP17 is on the display
side, just right of the lower-right corner of the IC.  Grounds are about
1/4 inch below and to the right, the three non-tinned points in the large
area of metal.  TP17 is the tinned pad next to a SM resistor marked '473'
for 47k.

I rigged a momentary switch to ground TP17 thru a 1k resistor (you never
can tell) and it works just fine!  I drilled a small hole to mount the switch
just above the plastic depression so I could push the button with my right
thumb.  A small toggle switch would fit if you want to hold longer.

Galen, KF0YJ

-----------

As you can see, I picked if off the net from someone else.

My only other advice is to watch out when you drill the hole
in the metal case for whatever button you want to install.
DO NOT drill with the unit still assembled, you will drill
right into the guts of the unit (NO, I did not do this, but
just make sure you separate the metal half-shell from the rest
of the unit for purposes of drilling).

Mike
--
^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v Catch the WAVE ^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v
Michael Mayer, Senior Technical Support Engineer      Amateur Radio KB8RJO
Visual Numerics, Inc.  32915 Aurora Rd.  Suite 160, Solon OH  44139  USA

v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v Good * Cheap * Quick  (pick any two) ^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^