I know this is cheap but would it be ok for a hobbyist for occasional use?
I was a tech in the 70s and can build pretty much anything from a schematic.
Is there another circuit that would be better that I could build for $20 in parts, or less? Not including an enclosure.
Thanks.
I was a tech in the 70s and can build pretty much anything from a schematic.
Is there another circuit that would be better that I could build for $20 in parts, or less? Not including an enclosure.
Thanks.
No idea, but it looks a bit like a toy. I suppose it depends on what you need it for. You could have a look here as well: signal generator – Buy signal generator with free shipping on AliExpress version
Perhaps you could use a free online tone generator? Online Tone Generator - Free, Simple and Easy to Use.
I have had good success with Vellerman products in the past but this is a little too basic. Lots of choice on fleabay.
Problem is that "sine" is not a sine by any means but a crudely integrated squarewave.
If you are itching to build something, and I can fully agree with that, I suggest you build this very useful piece of "bench test equipment" instead, the Velleman K7000 Signal Injector (yup, that´s a 1kHz sinewave oscillator) and Tracer, a headphone amp which lets you follow signal along a circuit to find where it gets lost, grossly clipped, choppy, noisy, a real "poor man´s Scope" equivalent.
https://www.velleman.eu/downloads/0/illustrated/illustrated_assembly_manual_k7000.pdf
Right within your budget at $19.95 he he.
Not the best less distorted sinewave in the World, but very usable and FUN.
If you are itching to build something, and I can fully agree with that, I suggest you build this very useful piece of "bench test equipment" instead, the Velleman K7000 Signal Injector (yup, that´s a 1kHz sinewave oscillator) and Tracer, a headphone amp which lets you follow signal along a circuit to find where it gets lost, grossly clipped, choppy, noisy, a real "poor man´s Scope" equivalent.
https://www.velleman.eu/downloads/0/illustrated/illustrated_assembly_manual_k7000.pdf
Right within your budget at $19.95 he he.
Not the best less distorted sinewave in the World, but very usable and FUN.
Sure, as long as you only use it for basic functional checks. I think a CD player with a test CD and a potmeter to set the level (or a computer with a few wave files with sinusoids) will be more versatile, though.
You could use it for checking whether the signal comes out at the other end, what the gain is and at what level things start clipping. It would be unusable for frequency response measurements, stability checks or distortion measurements.
Are you mainly interested in fixing defective circuits of known good design or in debugging new designs? In the first case, this circuit could come in handy, in the second case, it would hardly be of use.
Are you mainly interested in fixing defective circuits of known good design or in debugging new designs? In the first case, this circuit could come in handy, in the second case, it would hardly be of use.
Mostly the second, tweaking my own builds and modifications to existing gear.
It sounds like I need to spend more...
Assuming you mean amplifiers (pre-, power and phono), you can do a lot with a simple square wave generator, an oscilloscope, a computer with a sound card and an audio editing program, an 8 ohm power resistor (or a bunch of resistors that together are 8 ohm) and some makeshift resistive voltage dividers:
Small-signal stability tests:
Apply a small square wave and look at the response with the scope, if it oscillates or rings a lot, it is not good
Large-signal stability and recovery from clipping:
Apply a sine wave from the sound card that's large enough to cause clipping and look at the response with the scope
Gain and frequency response:
Apply a small sine wave from the sound card and look at both the input and the output of the amplifier under test with the scope
Distortion:
Use the sound card both for generating a sine wave test signal and for measuring the output. Attenuate the output signal sufficiently not to overdrive or blow up the sound card input. The audio editing program can usually do a DFT to check distortion.
Small-signal stability tests:
Apply a small square wave and look at the response with the scope, if it oscillates or rings a lot, it is not good
Large-signal stability and recovery from clipping:
Apply a sine wave from the sound card that's large enough to cause clipping and look at the response with the scope
Gain and frequency response:
Apply a small sine wave from the sound card and look at both the input and the output of the amplifier under test with the scope
Distortion:
Use the sound card both for generating a sine wave test signal and for measuring the output. Attenuate the output signal sufficiently not to overdrive or blow up the sound card input. The audio editing program can usually do a DFT to check distortion.