Aaronia Spectran V4 User manual

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SPECTRAN V4
Please read the following manual carefully before using your measurement device. This manual
contains important information on how to properly operate this unit.
USER MANUAL
MADE IN GERMANY

2No liability is accepted for printing errors and mistakes that may have occurred during the production of this user manual.
SPECTRAN®V4TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1. Introduction 6
1.1. Liability 6
1.2. Warranty 6
1.3. Safety Guidelines 6
1.4. Scope of delivery 7
POWER CONNECTION
3. Power connection 9
3.1. External DC input (battery charger / mains operation) 9
3.2. Operating with an external power supply 9
FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
5. Functional description 14
5.1. Technical data 14
5.2. Main menu 15
5.3. Menu items 16
5.3.1. Center (center frequency) 16
5.3.2. Span (frequency range width) 16
5.3.3. fLow & fHigh (start & stop frequency) 16
5.3.4. RBW (bandwidth) 17
 5.3.5. VBW(video-lter) 17
5.3.6. SwTime (sweep-time) 18
 5.3.7. Reev(reference-level) 18
5.3.8. Range (dynamics) 18
OVERVIEW FRONT PANEL
4. Overview front panel 10
4.1. Operating Equipment 10
4.2. Numeric block (hotkeys) 11
4.3. LC Display 12
4.4. The display shows 13
CONNECTIONS
2. Connections 8
2.1. Jog Dial / volume control 8
2.2. USB Connector 8
2.3. Audio Output 8

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CORRECT MEASUREMENT
7. Correct measurement 28
7.1. Noiseoor 28
7.2. Harmonics 28
7.3. Measurement of wireless LAN & cellphones 28
7.4. Attenuator-mode „Auto“ 29
7.5. Sensitivity 29
7.6. Measurement inaccuracy 29
7.7. Cursor and zoom features 30
FIRST OPERATIONAL STEPS
6. First operational steps 25
6.1. One-hand operation 25
6.2. OmniLOG 90200 26
6.3. Pistol grip 27
6.4. Hardware setup 27
FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
5.3.9. Atten (attenuator) 19
 5.3.10. PreAmp(internalpre-amplier/option020) 19
5.3.11. Demod (Demodulator /audio-analysis) 19
5.3.11.1. Demod (GSM-Decoder) 19
5.3.12. AudInd (Audio-Indicator / “bug tracer” – option 015) 20
5.3.13. Detect (detector type) 20
5.3.14. Disp (display mode) 21
5.3.15. Unit (set unit) 21
5.3.16. MrkCnt (set number of markers) 21
5.3.17. MarkLvl (set starting level for markers) 21
5.3.18. MrkDis (marker display mode) 22
5.3.19. BackBB (change bargraph display mode, option 20x) 22
 5.3.20. AntTyp(congureconnectedantenna) 22
 5.3.21. Cable(congureantennaconnectioncable/attenuator) 22
 5.3.22. RefOff(SetOffsetorUBBV-Preamplier) 22
5.3.23. GSMbst (select GSM Burst-Type) 23
5.3.24. GSMdst (GSM Slot-Distance) 23
5.3.25. Calib (in preparation, currently not usable) 23
5.3.26. Bright (Set display brightness) 23
5.3.27. Logger (start recording/Data Logger) 23
5.3.28. RunPrg (run program) 24
5.3.29. Setup (organize programs) 24

4No liability is accepted for printing errors and mistakes that may have occurred during the production of this user manual.
SPECTRAN®V4
TIPS AND TRICKS
9. Tips and tricks 38
9.1. Quick Zero-span sweep (Time Domain Mode) 38
9.2. „Turbo“Sweep for small frequency ranges 38
9.3. „Turbo“Sweep for larger frequency ranges 38
9.4. Allocating keys with your own measurement settings 38
9.5. Dect analysis 38
9.6. Exposure limit calculation (display in W/m² with „Weak“ signals) 38
9.7. Conversion of measurement results to other units 38
9.8. Correct settings for manual input/measurement 39
9.9. Measurement of satellite TV 39
9.10. Kabelgebundene Messungen 39
9.11. Measurement with a direct cable connection 39
PHYSICAL UNITS
11. Physical units 43
11.1. Measuring transmission power (dBm; dBµV) 43
11.2. Field strength [V/m; A/m] and power density [W/m²] 43
11.3. Interesting facts regarding high-frequency formula 43
11.4. Calculating the wavelength in [m] 44
11.5. Calculating the „close-up range“ in [m] 44
11.6. Calculating power density [W/m²] from power [dBm] 44
SPECTRUM ANALYSIS BASICS
10. Spectrum analysis basics 40
10.1. What is a frequency range? 40
10.2. Big difference between exposure limits 40
10.3. Application of spectrum analysis 40
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FIRST MEASUREMENT
8. First measurement 31
8.1. Prepair device 31
8.2. Basics 31
8.3. Measurement 31
8.4. Operation mode „Spectrum analysis“ 31
8.5. Hold-function 32
8.6. The „panning approach“ 33
8.7. Operation mode “Exposure limit calculation” 33
8.8. Operation mode Audio-output (demodulation) 34
8.9. Operation mode broadband detector (Peak power meter) 35
8.10. Manual setting of a frequency range 37

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TABLES AND EXPOSURE LIMITS
12. Tables and exposure limits 45
12.1. Convesion tables 45
Table 1: Conversion dBm to W/m² with HyperLOG-antenna 45
Table 2: Conversion from W/m² to µW/cm² and mW/cm² 46
Table 3: Conversion from µW/cm² to V/m and A/m 46
Table 4: dBm to dBW and W 46
Table 5: Frequency, wavelength and frequency band denomination 46
 Table6:PoweramplicationfactorandcorrespondingvalueindB 46
12.2. Frequency tables 47
Table 7: Cell phone frequencies and providers 47
Table 8: German GSM900 frequencies and providers 47
Table 9: German GSM1800 frequencies and providers 48
Table 10: German UMTS frequencies and providers 48
12.3. Exposure limits 49
12.4. Device exposure limits 50
GENERAL INFORMATION
13.1. Description / Types | Safety instructions 52
13.2. Disposal | Technical data | CE compliance / Disclaimer 54
TABLE OF CONTENTS

6No liability is accepted for printing errors and mistakes that may have occurred during the production of this user manual.
SPECTRAN®V4
1. Introduction
Dear customer,
By purchasing this SPECTRAN high-frequency
measurement device you acquired a professional
piece of equipment which allows measurement of
high-frequency elds.
The measuring instrument has been constructed
according to the current state of the art and fullls
the requirements of the applicable European and
national guidelines.
Please note: For measurement of low frequency
elds (high-voltage lines, traction power, various
household appliances etc.) you need additional one
of the NF series SPECTRAN models.
1.1. Liability
This document was compiled with great care and
checked for accuracy.
But nevertheless mistakes cannot be excluded. We
do not take over any liability. We cannot guarantee
the completeness, the correctness and the accura-
cy of information.
We reserve ourselves the right to change our prod-
ucts, specications and documentations without
any notice. We have no obligation for revision of
documents and manuals we delivered in the past.
1.2. Warranty
Despite the greatest care in development and pro-
duction of this device and the software MCS for free;
Aaronia AG takes only liabilities for certain purpos-
es, if this has been assured in writing. No warranty
can be assumed for the performance and flawless-
ness of the software for all usage conditions and
cases and for the results produced when utilized by
the user. No additional guarantees or assurances
are made regarding marketability, freedom of defect
of title, integration or usability for certain purposes
unless they are required in accordance with the law
and cannot be limited. Justied guarantee claims
are limited to the right of require rectication or re-
placement delivery. Regarding infringements, viola-
tions of patents, rights of ownership or the freedom
from interference by third parties, Aaronia AG can-
not warrant or guarantee that it is free of error.
1.3. Safety guidelines
In the event of any damages resulting
from failure to follow these operating
instructions the claim under guar-
antee is discharged. We accept
no liability for consequential
damages.
In the event of property and
personal damages resulting from improper han-
dling or failure to follow safety advice, we accept
no liability.
For reasons of safety and admissibility (CE) the
unauthorized conversion and/or alteration of the
product is not permitted.
As voltage source please only use a property mains
socket (100-240Volt, 50/60Hz). Make sure that the
cable isn’t squeezed or damage by sharp edges.
In order to avoid any damage, please read this user
manual carefully before starting to use the device.
The commissioning should only be performed by
qualied and instructed personnel.
Never expose the device to water. Never use it out-
doors while it is raining. Otherwise the sensitive
electronics could be damaged.
Avoid to high temperatures. Do not leave the device
on a heating, in direct sunlight or in your car.
The device is maintenance-free. Only clean it exter-
nally with a damp cloth.
Due to the high sensitivity, the sensors and display
of this device are sensitive to shock; hence it should
be handled with care.
For safekeeping and transport please use the car-
rycase.
Even though the device is well secured through the
use of counter-sunk screws, it should still not be
reachable by children as it could easily be diverted
from its intended use.
This devices that is connected with mains voltage
and derived voltages, is not meant for the hands of
children.
Consider the regulations for prevention of industrial
accidents for electrical installations and equipment,
by government safety organization in industrial fa-
cilities.
In schools, educational establishments, hobby and
self-help workshops the operation of this product
must be supervised by trained personnel.
1. INTRODUCTION
Liability | Warranty | Safety guidelines

7www.aaronia.com
a
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b
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e
d
f
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k
1.4. Scope of delivery
The scope of supply includes:
a) SPECTRAN HF 60xx V4 measurement device
b) HyperLOG measurement antenna
c) SMA cable 1m
d) USB cable
e) Aaronia handle / miniature tripod
f) Battery charger / power supply with 4 adapters
g) protection rubber
h) SMA tool
i) SMA adapter
j) Aaronia 1300mAh Power battery (already tted)
k) Aluminum carrycase
Please check the package contents for complete-
ness before rst operation. Reclaim possible mis-
sing parts instantly with Aaronia or your Aaronia
dealer.
1. INTRODUCTION
Scope of delivery
Warning:
Be careful not to overload the instrument’s input with excessively strong signals which could permanent-
ly damage the highly sensitive circuitry! The maximum allowable peak power at the input of the SPEC-
TRAN V4 is:
-withactivatedPreAmplier:0dBmmaximum(peak)
-HF-6060V4&HF-6080V4(PreAmplierOFF):+10dBmmaximum(peak)
-HF-60100V4(PreAmplierOFF):+20dBmmaximum(peak)

8No liability is accepted for printing errors and mistakes that may have occurred during the production of this user manual.
SPECTRAN®V42. CONNECTIONS
Jog Dial / volume control | USB-/ audio-Input
2.1. Jog Dial/volume control
The Jog Dial replaces the up/down arrow keys
(“turn“ the jog dial) and the Enter key (briefly “press”
the jog dial). It enables to control the complete
menu navigation.
Another function as volume control, if the demodu-
lator activated, As a precaution, before connecting
anything to the audio output, you should turn this
volume control all the way down to zero to avoid
overload.
2.2. USB connector
The 5-pin USB B mini connector on the SPECTRAN
allows fast communication with a computer or
notebook. With this feature, you can e. g. download
data from SPECTRAN’s data logger, perform soft-
ware (rmware) updates or establish a real time
connection between your PC and SPECTRAN using
the SPECTRAN PC software to perform advanced
signal analysis.
For this connection, you need a high-grade, shielded
USB 2.0 cable with USB A to Mini USB B 5-pin (see
Aaronia accessory list).
2.3. Audio Output
This is a standard 1.5mm mono phone jack that can
be connected to any device which offers an audio
input, e. g. PHONO, CD, LINE IN, MIC etc. Depending
on the kind of input, you may need an appropriate
adapter cable, which you can purchase from any
third party dealer. However, our own accessories
(for example, our mini earphones) can always be
connected directly.
Note: We strongly recommend using our own
custom built USB cable as these incorporate
especially developed EMC shielding and thus
drastically reduce any possible interference.

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3. POWER-CONNECTION
Power connection | external DC input | external power supply
3. Power connection
All SPECTRAN devices contain a high-performance
battery package which is already installed in the
unit. However, this battery is not yet charged for sa-
fety reasons. Hence, you should charge it with the
included charger.
3.1. External DC input (battery charger / mains
operation)
For this, connect the charger to a wall socket and
plug the mini phone plug into the DC input on the
SPECTRAN. Now turn OFF your SPECTRAN and the
battery pack will be automatically charged. For the
3000 mAh battery, full charge is reached after about
5 hours. When using the optional USB port charger,
the full charge may take up to 36 hours. You can
use the device during the loading, but full charging
is only possible with a switch-off.
The runtimes are depending on the device, options and settings when fully charged:
HF-2025 Rev. 3 GSM900 measurement
Hotkey 5
1300mAh NiMh battery Runtime
Up to 3 hours
3000mAh LiPo battery Runtime
Up to 10 hours
HF-60100 V4
Including all options
GSM900 measurement
Hotkey 5
1300mAh NiMh battery Runtime
Up to 2 hours
3000mAh LiPo battery Runtime
Up to 6.5 hours
3.2. Operating with an external power supply
As described above, the DC input is meant for char-
ging the internal battery pack. However, it can also
be used for operating SPECTRAN independently of
the internal battery pack.
Using our optional car power adapter (see accesso-
ries list) you can also operate SPECTRAN devices
in a car.
If you wish to operate SPECTRAN via the power
supply, so please note that the power supply’s cir-
cuitry will cause additional interference both due to
the cable connection and by means of RF radiation.
This may lead to wrong measurement results in ex-
treme cases.
Note: You can also connect other DC power sources with an output voltage of 12V, using a 3.5mm phone
jack. Polarity of the jack needs to be as follows:
The “inner conductor” must be “+”, the “outer conductor” must be “-“.

10 No liability is accepted for printing errors and mistakes that may have occurred during the production of this user manual.
SPECTRAN®V44. OVERVIEW FRONT PANEL
Operating equipment
CLR
SHIFT
.
ON/OFF button Switches the device on and of
Clear/Reset
button
- Sets different sweep-parameter back to factory setting
- Clear input, if main menu is active.
Arrow keys With active main menu:
Selection of menu entries
In Spectrum analysis mode:
Right/Left key: Move frequency range by one SPAN
Up/Down key: move Reference-Level by 10 dB
In Exposure limit calculation mode:
Right/Left key: select Exposure limits or W/m²-display
In Audio mode:
Right/Left key: Increase/decrease center frequency by one RBW (bandwidth)
Up/Down key: Increase/decrease RBW (bandwidth)
Menu button Call/dismiss main menu for changing various settings.
Enter button Switch between the modes Spectrum, exposure limit calculation, audio
an broadband detector (if installed)
With main menu active: Conrms current input (Enter key)
Shift button In Spectrum & Exposure limit calculation modes:
Min/Max Detector on/off (on= shows Peak, off =shows no indication and
the device works in RMS detector mode)
Dot button In Spectrum & Exposure limit calculation modes: HOLD on/off
In Audio mode: Switch between AM/ FM

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4. OVERVIEW FRONT PANEL
Numeric block
1 = Tetra (380 – 400 MHz)
2 = ISM434 (433 – 434,8 MHz)
3 = LTE800 (780 – 862 MHz)
4 = ISM868 (868 – 870 MHz)
5 = GSM900 (921,2 – 959,6 MHz / cell towers, no cellphones)
6 = GSM18k (1800 – 1880 MHz / cell towers, no cellphones)
7 = UMTS (2110 – 2170 MHz / cell towers, no cellphones)
8 = WLAN (2400 – 2490 MHz / cell towers, no cellphones)
9 = LTE2.6 (2500 – 2690 MHz)
0 = DECT-Analyzer (1880 – 1900 MHz)
Measurement of digital portable DECT phones

12 No liability is accepted for printing errors and mistakes that may have occurred during the production of this user manual.
SPECTRAN®V44. OVERVIEW FRONT PANEL
LC-display
Battery display
Bargraph (50 segments / scala)
Statuseld
Detector display
Main display
Marker-Block 1, 2, 3
Graphic display (Pixel-Field)
Display mode
Info display
* = UNCALL / OVERLOAD (derzeit in Entwicklung, daher noch ohne Funktion)









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Bargraph
(Trend-display)
Depending on signal strength, the half-circle will grow or shrink. A handy
feature for visualizing quickly changing levels. Even handy: If the broad-
band detector is installed, the bargraph will always show the level measu-
red by the broadband detector.
Mode-statuseld
(Peak & Hold)
Shows the currently active detector:
No display = RMS activated
PEAK = Min/Max-Detector activated
HOLD = Hold-Modus activated
Info display Shows the selected preset (frequency range). Using the keys 0-9, further
presets (UMTS, DECT, etc.) are available.
Display-Mode
Statusfeld
Shows the current operation mode. Possible modes are: Spectrum
(spectrum analysis), Expos.-Limits (exposure limit calculation),
AM/FM (audio output) and RF (power meter, Option 20x).
Main display Displays the level (signal strength) of the strongest signal in dBm.
Marker-Block (1 – 3) Show frequency and signal strength of the strongest signals. Up to 3
markers can be displayed simultaneously.
Graphic display
(here: spectrum display)
This flexible display eld can display a great variety of information, both
text and graphics (spectrum, exposure limits, menu text etc.)
4. OVERVIEW FRONT PANEL
The display shows















14 No liability is accepted for printing errors and mistakes that may have occurred during the production of this user manual.
SPECTRAN®V45. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
Technical data
HF-6060 V4 HF-6080 V4 HF-60100 V4
Frequency range 10MHz – 6 GHz 10MHz – 8 GHz 1MHz – 9,4 GHz
DANL -135dBm (1Hz) -145dBm (1Hz) -155dBm (1Hz)
DANL
withPreAmplier
-150dBm (1Hz) -160dBm (1Hz) -170dBm (1Hz)
Max. PeakLevel
HF Input
+10dBm +10dBm +20dBm
(opt.+ 40dBm)
Fastest
Sample-Time
10ms 10ms 5ms
Filter bandwidth
(RBW)
3kHz to 50 MHz 1kHz to 50MHz 200Hz
(only with option 002) o 50 MHz
Units of
measurment
dBm, dBµV, V/m, A/m, W/m²
(dBµV/m, W/cm² etc. via PC
software)
dBm, dBµV, V/m, A/m, W/m,
dBµV/m, W/cm² etc. via PC
software)
dBm, dBµV, V/m, A/m, W/m²
(dBµV/m, W/cm² etc. via PC
software)
EMClter --200Hz, 9kHz, 120kHz, 200 kHz,
1,5MHz, 5MHz
Detectores RMS, Min/Max RMS, Min/Max RMS, Min/Max
Demodulation AM, FM AM, FM, PM AM, FM, PM, GSM
Input 50 Ohm SMA HF-Input (f) 50 Ohm SMA HF-Input (f) 50 Ohm SMA HF-Input (f)
Accuracy +/- 2dB +/- 2dB +/- 1dB
Interface USB 2.0/1.1 USB 2.0/1.1 USB 2.0/1.1
Weight Ca. 430 g Ca. 430 g Ca. 430 g
* frequency-dependent

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5. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
Main menu
5.2. Main menu
By pressing the menu button you get to the main
menu of the SPECTRAN. From here, you can con-
trol the entire device, change various settings, but
also do things like starting the data logger or save
an recall your own programs By pressing the menu
button again, you can exit the menu at any time.
After pressing the menu key, convenient menu nav-
igation is at your disposal: the currently selected
menu entry is displayed in inverse (black bar). In
this example, “Center” is selected.
For the currently selected menu entry, the current
setting is being displayed in „clear text“ on the large
info eld at the top.
In our example, it is the currently set center frequen-
cy (“940”). This way, there is no need to manually
call up each menu entry to check its value.
To move between menu entries, use the Up/
Down arrow button or the Jog Dial.
Use the Enter-button to activate the currently
selected menu entry, which will allow you to per-
form input using the keypad or make a selection
using the Up/Down arrow keys. Input/selection can
be conrmed with the Enter key, which will return
you to the menu.
Any changes will only take effect when you nally
leave the menu.
Tip: The marker blocks 1 – 3 permanently show the following information, from left to right:
Start-, Center- and Stop-frequencies (each in full MHz)
Below, the current values are shown for (from left to right):
Range,MrkLvlundReev.
This is convenient, e. g. it allows you to quickly call the menu during a measurement and check the cur-
rent frequency range, etc., which is otherwise hardly visible. After checking the values in question, just
press the menu key again, and the measurement continues without any change of parameters.

16 No liability is accepted for printing errors and mistakes that may have occurred during the production of this user manual.
SPECTRAN®V45. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
Center | Span | fLow & fHigh
5.3.1. Center (center frequency)
Chooses the frequency displayed in the middle of
the readout. When changing the center frequency,
the SPAN parameter (see following description) is
preserved. Thus, you can quickly evaluate different
frequency ranges with identical SPAN and without
tedious re-adjustment of start/stop frequencies.
5.3.2. Span (frequency range width)
Span adjusts the width of the sweep. Changes are
relative to the aforementioned “center frequency”
of the display. By changing span, the start/stop fre-
quencies (see following description) are automat-
ically adjusted to be able to conform to the span.
Thus, the span function can be compared to a mag-
nifying glass”, though only operates in the X axis.
Example: Say you have set 945 MHz as the center
frequency. Now, if you use 10 MHz as the span set-
ting, the sweep will be performed from 940 to 950
MHz. If you enter 200kHz for the span setting, the
sweep will be performed from 944.9 to 945.1 MHz,
and so forth. In effect, you just increase or decrease
the resolution around the center frequency as a ref-
erence.
5.3.3. fLow & fHigh (Start- & stop frequency)
fLow (start frequency) sets the frequency where the
sweep should begin, whereas fHigh (stop frequen-
cy) sets its ending frequency. From these two, the
complete frequency range which gets sweeped is
derived.
Center frequency
SPAN
fLow fHigh
5.3. Menu items
There are two ways to manually set the frequency range:
- by Center (center frequency) und Span (frequency range width) or
- by fLow & fHigh (start- und stop frequency)
Tip: Please note that a large frequency range will badly squeeze the display horizontally (in the X axis)
and thus signicantly reduces measurement accuracy. Individual signals, especially when close togeth-
er, will often not be distinguishable anymore. However, if you narrow the frequency range, you will be able
to analyze the sweep range more precisely. You will be able to see far more details and higher accuracy.
A large frequency span is thus mostly useful for a broad overview, not for exact measurements.

17www.aaronia.com
5. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
RBW | VBW
5.3.4. RBW (bandwidth)
By adjusting bandwidth, you can adjust detail clarity
and sensitivity at once.
When bandwidth is set to a very high value or even
to FULL, the sweep will be very fast, however, the
display becomes comparatively inaccurate and
sensitivity is low. Hence, very weak signals will not
be picked up anymore.
The smaller the bandwidth, the longer the sweep
will take, but the display will be more precise and
weaker signals can still be displayed. Thus, for ex-
ample, a single signal initially sweeped with high
bandwidth can turn out to be a number of several
narrow, close together signals.
However, this gain in accuracy has its downside in
the far longer sweep times.
5.3.5.VBW(videolter)
The video lter is intended for visual smoothing
of the signal. The lower the video lter setting, the
broader and smoother the display of the signal be-
comes.
Using this lter, you can mostly suppress unwant-
ed noise, harmonics or sporadic peaks. However,
with a very low video lter setting, the display can
become less meaningful.
In our example, there might be three separate
signals present. However, the low video lter
straightens these signals out to become one single
“smooth” signal. The alleged noise band around the
signal has also been “smoothed out”. Thus, when
dealing with weak signals, the highest possible vid-
eo lter setting should be used.
RBW (3MHz)
RBW (1MHz)
VBW = Full
VBW - 100 KHz
Tip: By using the Right/Left arrow keys, you can simply move the sweep range by exactly one Span to
the right or left.

18 No liability is accepted for printing errors and mistakes that may have occurred during the production of this user manual.
SPECTRAN®V45. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
SwTime | Reflev | Range
5.3.6. SwTime (sweep-time)
Sets the amount of time per sample. As a measure-
ment consists of several samples, the time needed
to complete an entire measurement cycle will ob-
viously be higher. In general, the higher the sweep
time setting, the more precise the measurement, at
the cost of being more time consuming.
A Sw Time <= 20ms will activate the UNCALL sign.
5.3.7.Reev(referencelevel)
The reference level sets the position of the signal
display relative to the upper display corner, in dBm.
The smaller the setting, the closer you get to the
so-called noise floor and the greater the amount of
visible interferences.
5.3.8. Range (dynamics)
Range sets the „size“ of the visible range. Setting
Range to 100dB (maximum) will give you the best
possible overview of all signal sources. The verti-
cal bars of the individual signals are virtually being
“squeezed” from top to bottom to t all signals into
the display.
On the other hand, when Range is set to 50, more
details will become visible, though a few signals
might now be “cut off” at the top or bottom (depend-
ing on the RefLev setting). In the end, the Range
function is comparable to a “magnifying glass”,
though it only works in the Y axis.
Tip: Using the Up/Down arrow keys, the reference level can be moved up or down by 10dB at any time.
Reev(referencelevel)dBm
Range (dynamics)

19www.aaronia.com
5. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
Atten | PreAmp | Demod
5.3.9. Atten (attenuator)
The internal attenuator attenuates the signal ap-
plied to the input connector by the corresponding
amount in dB to avoid overloading the RF input cir-
cuitry.
Experienced users can also set this value manu-
ally. However, in the majority of cases, you should
be sure to leave this setting on the default “Auto”
setting!
5.3.10. PreAmp
(internalpre-amplier/option020)
The optional internal extremely low-noise PreAmp
amplies the applied signal by approx. 15dB, signif-
icantly enhancing the sensitivity of the device. The
OFF setting turns the PreAmp off (default), ON ac-
tivates it.
Please note that obviously, the preamp gives var-
ying performance depending on the measured
frequency. Its amplication decreases particular-
ly with very low or very high frequencies. Below
30MHz and above 9GHz, its amplication is almost
zero and might even attenuate the signal. Conse-
quently, it should then stay turned off to insure the
highest possible sensitivity.
5.3.11. Demod (demodulator/audio analysis)
The demodulator turns pulsing and modulation of
up to approx. 3.5kHz into audible signals. SPEC-
TRAN supports three types of demodulation:
AM (amplitude modulation)
FM (frequent modulation)
PM (phase modulation)
The dot key can be used to switch between AM and
FM at any time.
The demodulator can be turned off by choosing
OFF or by pressing the menu key.
Demodulation takes place around the center fre-
quency; bandwidth is controlled by the RBW setting.
This allows custom monitoring of individual, small
frequency ranges. However, note that the lter is
slightly less dened in this mode, meaning that very
strong signals on neighboring frequencies might
audibly “spill” into the currently selected frequency
range as well.
Example: You might be demodulating the signal of a
DECT phone (key 0), with a GSM900 transmitter in
proximity as well. Depending on antenna alignment,
you might also hear the modulation of the GSM sig-
nal.
5.3.11.1. Demod (GSM-Decoder)
With GSM you can activate a powerful GSM-Decod-
er mode. In this mode the spectrum display will be
deactivated. Instead you will see continues decod-
ed GSM data stream.
The following symbols are used:
„*“ = Signal can’t be decoded (signal is to weak or
bad signal
„F“ = found FCCH
„S“ = found Sync
„0-7“ = represent the color code or TSC
(Training Sequence) number.
As demodulation is performed in almost real-time,
it is especially suitable for very quick location and
assessment of signal sources.
WARNING: If „Auto „is turned off, it is mandatory
to activate an attenuator when applying signals
over-20dBm to avoid incorrect results.
Signals beyond 0dBm (peak) can even destroy
the input circuitry if no corresponding attenuator
is congured.
Tip: As demodulation is performed in almost
real-time, it is especially suitable for very quick
location and assessment of signal sources.
Warning: Only use the PreAmp with very weak
signals, as strong signals over 0dBm (peak) can
destroy it!

20 No liability is accepted for printing errors and mistakes that may have occurred during the production of this user manual.
SPECTRAN®V45. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
AudInd | Detect
v
5.3.12. AudInd
(Audio-Indicator / “bug tracer” – option 015)
The AudInd feature allows quick audio-aided loca-
tion of signal sources (especially “bugs” or “wire-
taps”). In this mode, a tone is being emitted whose
strength and duration is proportional to the detect-
ed signal strength.
5.3.13. Detect (Detector type)
The Detect option can be used to choose a detec-
tor type. Depending on the signal type and meas-
urement standard, different types of detectors are
appropriate, the default being
RMS. Currently available types (more are in devel-
opment) are:
RMS (Root Mean Square)
The square root of the squares of all samples
(I²+Q²). This detector type has no corresponding
symbol in the Mode status eld. It can be used to
determine the real signal power during sweep time
on a certain frequency and is the mandatory detec-
tor type for a variety of exposure limit standards, for
example, ICNIRP.
MinMax (PEAK)
This detector type compares the current (I²+Q²)
sample against the strongest formerly acquired
sample. The strongest respective sample is being
kept and its Min/Max displayed. The Mode status
eld shows the “Pulse” symbol. This detector is par-
ticularly suitable for signals with high crest factors
(WiMAX, DVB-T etc.) or frequency hopping (DECT)
to determine the crest factor or signal peak. In Min-
Max mode, signals are displayed with a hatched ll
if the signal’s corresponding graphic is wide enough
to accommodate for this (small Span). The “size” of
the portion of the graphic above the hatched part
indicates the signal’s MinMax value.
After pressing the DECT hotkey (key 0), a DECT
phone is being measured (MinMax mode is set au-
tomatically). Time Domain mode is being selected
as well. An actual DECT signal would reveal itself in
the spectrum as a number of sporadically appear-
ing, sharp peaks with varying heights. In contrast,
interference from a cellphone would be displayed as
a fence like, uniform collection of peaks of almost
equal height. As you can see, different signal sourc-
es can be easily distinguished. This distinction is
even more appealing when using our PC analysis
software “MCS”, with signals being displayed as 3D
graphics in Time Domain mode.
Attention: The tone changes only after each
sweep completes an corresponds to the highest
level detected. So, to sensibly utilize this fea-
ture, a very fast sweep is needed. For optimum
results, this feature should be used in conjunc-
tion with a fast zero-span sweep (Span=0Hz) or
using the Power-Meter mode (Option 20x). For
best results always use a very short sweep time
of 1mS.
“OFF” turns off audio reproduction, “MaxAmp”
enables it.
Attention: In MinMax mode, residual noise is
always increased by roughly 10dB due to math-
ematical reasons.
Tip: You can always switch between the RMS
and MinMax modes with the shift key – one
case where this is useful is determining the
crest factor (the difference between RMS and
MinMax).