Using the SDRplay RSP2 for Accurate RF Power Measurement + A New RSP2 Review
Over on YouTube Jon, head of SDRplay marketing has uploaded a video showing how the SDRplay RSP2 can be used for accurate RF power measurements. In the video he shows how well calibrated the RSP2 is by comparing how well the power measurements in SDRuno match with a signal generator at various frequencies and power levels.
Later in the video he shows how RF power measurements can be used in a field situation by using the RSP2 and SDRuno to compare the performance of two different whip antennas.
Secondly, a new review of the RSP2 by the Radio Society of Great Britain’s RadCom monthly magazine has been released to the web (pdf). The review goes over the RSP2 features and design, and also explores how an external GPS-DO can be used as the clock. The review also tests how well the RSP2 is calibrated for RF power measurements, and finds that in the worst case at 434 MHz at low power levels it is only at most about 1.1 dB out.
Although he alludes to measuring average power he is only measuring peak CW power where peak equals average. Modulation disperses power over the bandwidth and must be corrected or calculated to correspond with a Thermal Power Meter. Also, reading the RSGB article, it sounds like changes in level caused by changing resolution bandwidth and such are corrected for in software? Still not bad for not having a calibrator to provide a reference level.