![]() Let's examine how an RF Probe works.Ībove left, we see the schematic of a classic half-wave peak rectifier, commonly seen in power supplies. Why not just read it using your trusty voltmeter, set on AC? Well, because most voltmeters wont read AC signals having a frequency above 10 or 100 KHz, and RF is way above that. You might think of an RF probe as a special test lead that converts your regular ol' DC voltmeter to a RF reading voltmeter. What's an RF probe, and how does it work? ![]() But once you understand how it's used, and how easy it is to build, you'll wonder why you never built one before. It has its limits, of course, and we'll discuss those here. When used with a high-impedance DC Voltmeter, it can be used to measure RF voltage (and power), trace RF signals in a new design, and troubleshoot malfunctioning RF circuits. The one featured here cost about $10 in parts and supplies, not counting the wire, which I scrounged. Using only 3 electronic components, it may rank as one of the simplest and cheapest homebrew projects. The RF Probe is one of the handiest accessories you can have around the shack. This project was constructed while that call was valid, and you may observe references to it. (click on any picture to see larger version) ![]() N5ESE's Classic RF Probe N5ESE's Classic RF Probe ![]()
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