On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 18:53:24 -0800, Ray Collins
*remove wrote:

Years ago, in another life, I worked in radio. There was a small test
set that measured RF so that the station engineers could tell the
contours still matched the promise of performance. Can't remember what
they were called and who manufactured them. Anybody?

They were in a beige case with a meter on the front and were fairly BIG $.

Potomac Instruments FIM series were that color. The earlier ones went
under their name and Nems Clarke, RCA, Vitro?, maybe some others. They
were good radios. Still have two of them around somewhere.

On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 23:53:55 -0600, Phil Witt wrote:

On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 18:53:24 -0800, Ray Collins
*remove wrote:

Years ago, in another life, I worked in radio. There was a small test
set that measured RF so that the station engineers could tell the
contours still matched the promise of performance. Can't remember what
they were called and who manufactured them. Anybody?

They were in a beige case with a meter on the front and were fairly BIG $.

Potomac Instruments FIM series were that color. The earlier ones went
under their name and Nems Clarke, RCA, Vitro?, maybe some others. They
were good radios. Still have two of them around somewhere.

Field Intensity Meter - forgot to mention

On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 23:53:55 -0600, Phil Witt wrote:

On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 18:53:24 -0800, Ray Collins
*remove wrote:

Years ago, in another life, I worked in radio. There was a small test
set that measured RF so that the station engineers could tell the
contours still matched the promise of performance. Can't remember what
they were called and who manufactured them. Anybody?

They were in a beige case with a meter on the front and were fairly BIG $.

Potomac Instruments FIM series were that color. The earlier ones went
under their name and Nems Clarke, RCA, Vitro?, maybe some others. They
were good radios. Still have two of them around somewhere.

Field Intensity Meter - forgot to mention

"Ray Collins" *remove wrote in message
...
Years ago, in another life, I worked in radio. There was a small test
set that measured RF so that the station engineers could tell the
contours still matched the promise of performance. Can't remember what
they were called and who manufactured them. Anybody?

They were in a beige case with a meter on the front and were fairly BIG $.


Field Intensity Meter or a Field Strength Meter or an EMI Receiver.

Beige case (maybe one for meter and one for the power supply?), big $ =
Stoddart NM series meters.
Same, but gray crinkle, bigger (but only one) box, big $ = Empire NF-105
meter.
Really, really big case, microwave, pale green & beige, really big $$,
Polarad FIM meter.

OTOH, hand-held beige, modest $, maybe a Narda power density meter (did it
have a separate hand-held wand?).

Ed
wb6wsn

"Ray Collins" *remove wrote in message
...
Years ago, in another life, I worked in radio. There was a small test
set that measured RF so that the station engineers could tell the
contours still matched the promise of performance. Can't remember what
they were called and who manufactured them. Anybody?

They were in a beige case with a meter on the front and were fairly BIG $.


Field Intensity Meter or a Field Strength Meter or an EMI Receiver.

Beige case (maybe one for meter and one for the power supply?), big $ =
Stoddart NM series meters.
Same, but gray crinkle, bigger (but only one) box, big $ = Empire NF-105
meter.
Really, really big case, microwave, pale green & beige, really big $$,
Polarad FIM meter.

OTOH, hand-held beige, modest $, maybe a Narda power density meter (did it
have a separate hand-held wand?).

Ed
wb6wsn

As my old brain remembers they were regenerative, fair size meter on the
front, well made case with rounded corners, the size of a lunchbox and
stored in a wooden box. I think Potomac Instruments may be the one.
Now there's just finding one. ;-)



Ed Price wrote:
"Ray Collins" *remove wrote in message
...

Years ago, in another life, I worked in radio. There was a small test
set that measured RF so that the station engineers could tell the
contours still matched the promise of performance. Can't remember what
they were called and who manufactured them. Anybody?

They were in a beige case with a meter on the front and were fairly BIG $.



Field Intensity Meter or a Field Strength Meter or an EMI Receiver.

Beige case (maybe one for meter and one for the power supply?), big $ =
Stoddart NM series meters.
Same, but gray crinkle, bigger (but only one) box, big $ = Empire NF-105
meter.
Really, really big case, microwave, pale green & beige, really big $$,
Polarad FIM meter.

OTOH, hand-held beige, modest $, maybe a Narda power density meter (did it
have a separate hand-held wand?).

Ed
wb6wsn

As my old brain remembers they were regenerative, fair size meter on the
front, well made case with rounded corners, the size of a lunchbox and
stored in a wooden box. I think Potomac Instruments may be the one.
Now there's just finding one. ;-)



Ed Price wrote:
"Ray Collins" *remove wrote in message
...

Years ago, in another life, I worked in radio. There was a small test
set that measured RF so that the station engineers could tell the
contours still matched the promise of performance. Can't remember what
they were called and who manufactured them. Anybody?

They were in a beige case with a meter on the front and were fairly BIG $.



Field Intensity Meter or a Field Strength Meter or an EMI Receiver.

Beige case (maybe one for meter and one for the power supply?), big $ =
Stoddart NM series meters.
Same, but gray crinkle, bigger (but only one) box, big $ = Empire NF-105
meter.
Really, really big case, microwave, pale green & beige, really big $$,
Polarad FIM meter.

OTOH, hand-held beige, modest $, maybe a Narda power density meter (did it
have a separate hand-held wand?).

Ed
wb6wsn

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 06:42:03 -0800, Ray Collins
*remove wrote:

As my old brain remembers they were regenerative, fair size meter on the
front, well made case with rounded corners, the size of a lunchbox and
stored in a wooden box. I think Potomac Instruments may be the one.
Now there's just finding one. ;-)

The Potomac FIM-41, which covers the broadcast band, is see on Ebay
from time to time. There was another one with broader coverage that
I've never seen for sale anywhere. Those might even be considered
rare. Still a ton of 41s and the older ones still in use by AM
directional stations. I've got two of them sitting right here but I
don' want to open them up. Best I recall they are just standard
portable radio type superhets without AVC.

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 06:42:03 -0800, Ray Collins
*remove wrote:

As my old brain remembers they were regenerative, fair size meter on the
front, well made case with rounded corners, the size of a lunchbox and
stored in a wooden box. I think Potomac Instruments may be the one.
Now there's just finding one. ;-)

The Potomac FIM-41, which covers the broadcast band, is see on Ebay
from time to time. There was another one with broader coverage that
I've never seen for sale anywhere. Those might even be considered
rare. Still a ton of 41s and the older ones still in use by AM
directional stations. I've got two of them sitting right here but I
don' want to open them up. Best I recall they are just standard
portable radio type superhets without AVC.