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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Need a bug-finder...

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Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 8769
Posted: 07:53am 08 Mar 2026
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The Yagi will give you direction at that frequency. The log periodic will give you signal strength over a very wide band (in theory it's infinite but in reality the max is set by the width at the point and the min is set by the width at the back), so it will find harmonics above and below that the Yagi might miss.

A Yagi and a map look like the best option to me at the moment. Simple and cheap. It's a case of selecting your measuring points to be far enough apart to be able to cope with the Yagi's beam angle. Remember that a Yagi does give some signal (not a lot relative to the front) from the back. You may be able to use it as you get closer by looking for a null off the back rather than max signal from the front, but be aware of reflections.
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs
 
Volhout
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Joined: 05/03/2018
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 5859
Posted: 09:13am 08 Mar 2026
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From my OWN experience. Also applicable to yagi antennas. The dip in signalstrength perpendicular is sharper than the peak in forward direction. Use forward to roughly find the direction, and perpendicular to measure the angle for plotting on the chart.

Volhout
PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS
 
Mixtel90

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Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 8769
Posted: 09:27am 08 Mar 2026
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I thought the side lobes were bigger than that. Thanks. :)
It makes sense though. You are end-on to the dipole.
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs
 
Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9936
Posted: 11:52pm 08 Mar 2026
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All sounds like fab advice, thanks chums!  

I also ordered a selection of SMA attenuators as suggested by one of you, for inserting in the antenna input to protect the TinySA thing-y.

I'm quite keen to get my hands on the TinySA.
I've been reading some quite glowing reports and reviews on this thing - provided you get the genuine article, naturally.

I can see it being useful for more then just my little bug-finder task.    
Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!
 
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