Radio basics

I am a horrible gadget junkie. I've already been online "scoping out" scopes. Lol.

 

I probably will end up getting one. I've looked at a bunch of them online.

I do know that I would like an older CRT based unit. I never was very impressed with LCD or digital even back in the day when I was an auto mechanic.

I remember being pissed when the dealership I worked at, got rid of our SunTune engine analyzer and replaced it with a digital piece of crap from AllenTest.

On the AllenTest, if you wanted to look at an ignition waveform, you had to select it from the menu and it would print out a very short cash register type tape with a couple of seconds of the ignition pattern. It was incapable of displaying a live waveform, so you wouldn't be able to tell which cylinder had an intermittent miss just by watching the scope pattern.

Most of the cheaper digital ones that I've seen online are not very good. I'd probably get an older HP unit.

 

Peak and tune and install, my CB works great and it will ever need a scope

 

What??


Ok guys, here is the thing, how many techs actually can describe the equipment in those pictures and explain how to properly use them?

 

For mobile applications, an off the shelf cheap radio, coax and antenna will work just fine.

I keep my RF gain turned down to the point that I can only hear others within 1/2 mile of me. Those are the only signals that are relevant to me, and should be the only signals relevant to you too while you're working. If you want / need to listen or talk further than that, then you should be sitting at home in your shack with 100+ Watts and a 2+ element beam antenna.