AE20401 Frequency Counter Kit Assembly Test & Review Part 1
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- Опубликовано: 19 май 2017
- This is a re-upload of the video. Sorry about the confusion. The AE20401 is a combination Frequency Counter (DC-5.8GHz) Power Meter (for low power circuits up to 8GHz) and pulse counter. It even comes with a very nice PC USB interface and software. Two thhumbs up! I purchased this kit from a company in Germany.
Link is listed below:
www.ebay.com/itm/261582387430?... 
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Hi have just bought and assembled one of these, and I am very pleased with it. I was actually doing the same mistake as you about the front plate, but when you looks down into the cabinet the PCB has to fit into the slot there, that means the Power Meter connector and the Channel-B connector fits perfectly, but then the diisplay is 3,5mm longer back into the cabinet. So it all fits :-) But I dont use the display because the software is so awesome and easy to use, that you dont use the display. Otherwise, superb video :-)
Tony,
Thx 2 U, I bought two of these ASCEL kits. The LC meter and the Kelvin milliohm meter .. both are outstanding performers.
The “biggest” challenge with these kits, are soldering in the binding posts, as they require very accurate positioning (I came up with a jig), as well as high heat with correct procedure (heat the binding post .. not the PCB) to properly solder them in.
PS, use a 9V linear regulated power supply (avoid a switch mode or buck converter power supply).
Thank you for a good Video. I'm going to build my own one next time. I also builded the AE 20125 and the AE 20204 what is even realy good. Realy good quality and the price is absolutly OK.
You could mount the solder contacts for the modules further out if you did not solder them before they were fitted to the module and the front plate!
Thanks for making this video. Have you had a chance to follow up with a Power Meter function check demonstration ?
That reading is extremely unstable, especially considering you have a Rubidium Source, myself and a friend ordered this kit, he's built his and having exactly the same issue with the reading jumping up and down just like yours, he's tried several function generators and has a 10MHz GPSD reference and it still does that. No issues at all with both references on the Racal Dana 1992.
There is also a tcxo module you can get for the counter.
Another great review of a bargain priced instrument. I had no idea whether these ASCEL kits were worth it or not before so it's great to have a review on this company's products. I hope they'll continue to be around for a long time. Kit selling companies have a tendency of being short-lived.
25:40 : I think the review is a little harsh here on this particular flaw. Most people that would buy this kit - which it is admitted (20:45) is not for everyone - should be able to prop up the USB socket (or even better, the modules' sockets) with a suitable mod, if they wish to. For the price/quality ratio on offer, I would be able to live with that.
32:20 : A review of the rubidium standard would be something I'd be really interested in. Are these rubidium standards supposedly very accurate in the long term ? I have the impression - which could be entirely wrong - that what that means is that they drift around a centre value but, overall, the long term average frequency is very stable.. Or is that true for cesium standards?
32:55 : I think the low sensitivity would be my only criticism based on this review. Unless of course they have a separate product that serves as an RF amplifier. That and the regulator without a heat sink. I generally don't like letting components inside electronic devices get warm if I can help it. A heat sink on it will help dissipating the heat inside the case faster and hence stabilize the instrument's temperature sooner. Of course all gaps in the front panel serving as ventilation holes would need to be addressed first in order to achieve that goal.
36:00 : I'd be interested to see if the performance is affected by the power supply e.g. when using a battery.
Btw, are these amplifier kits the usual JLH kits which proliferate on ebay? If so, it would be great to have a review of these too as I'm sure many are interested in the convenience offered by a readily available kit of this amp.
Question about the socket for the modules. Was there enough extra pin length where they solder on to the PCB that you could potentially wait until toward the end and then set the modules, with sockets plugged in, into the face and then solder the pins in to the PCB? Basically do a test fit with most of the rest of it assembled aside from the modules and then tack the sockets in place so the modules are flush with everything else? I agree that this is kind of a bungle and the manufacturer needs to sort that out, but perhaps that could be a work around for anyone else building one?
About mechanical build weakness revealed in this 2017 review: by 2020 were probably solved as I did not encountered them. Any case, I ordered it as unit (kit was fully assembled by the seller) for ca. 20$ more: it worked just nice.
About cheapness of switches, USB, etc. and difficulty to hit the buttons: these are irrelevant when unit is operated via USB/PC.
I was considering getting one of these but I won't if the parts don't fit together properly. Andrew McNeil built one about a year ago and didn't mention this problem and I couldn't tell from the pictures if it did or not but you might want to ask him if he had the problem and what he did about it. Also I would not solder the LCD display to the PC board but use socket pins in case it needs to come off again later.
Tony, could you give a link to the attenuators ? Thanks
You can shim those connectors up off the main board to get some setback, to (try) get the right clearance with the faceplate.
I've run into the problem quite a bit with the signal not being strong enough to lock up the frequency counter. One of those little amplifier kits would be a big help. Could you give a link as to where you got them, Thanks for the look see.
I got myself this kit in 2020 for frequency counter purposes only. The reading imprecision is 100% due to cheapo Qz (which makes sense with the overall price). I replaced it with a 20MHz 1ppb(!) unit and the reading precision has adjusted itself to 1ppb. Hence, I would call it an excellent hardware with 9 of 10 points. The 1 pt was lost because of lack of proper RF and DC protection. The software is also excellent, but receives only 8 of 10pts. It really misses some easy points: a) has a Start acquisition button but not a Stop one; b) Offset value is really tricky to set. Overall a 9 of 10 pts. Recommended improvements: 1. to add a variable gate (decimal x10 with 10ms, 100ms, 1s and 10s, or binary x4 with 25ms, 100ms, 400ms, 1.6s), then 2. to add some RF and DC protection, and finally 3. to upgrade external PS and the internal 3.3V regulator (for 1ppb Qz-oven supply which needs real juice flow during warming up) from 0.3mA to 2A plus adding internally a blank wall, where to mount your own 20MHz 1ppb unit. Then probably will cost 95$ to 100$ in exchange for a much-much larger market and user happiness. But I would not hold my breath, as probably the ASCEL guy might have some other priorities. Still, my kudos for a great hardware quality work, topped with a nice&useful logger, which beats pants down the much bigger names!
Can you pull the USB connector as far out as you can then solder it??? and I would pull the 2 modules all the way out, as far as you can away from the main board, so it will make the modules move further back from the faceplate..
The Ebay price is quite a bit higher than ordering it direct from Germany. Also, if there is a problem with the modules not fitting into the case, it would be easier to get customer service from Germany, I am sure. I would not consider ordering this from Ebay. Since you ordered yours from Germany, did you ever get the problem with the case fit resolved?
I just received my kit yesterday. It DIDN'T include the case! :( Maybe they're re-tooling?
What software do you use for your circuit design?
Cute gadget but HP stuff, even their older models, are SO nice! I just bought a HP5347 20ghz counter-power meter instead of this kit. ($250, free shipping) It was a toss-up but now I'm glad I spent the extra bit of money.
I think you made the right choice on the HP5347. By the way, great content on your channel. Hope to see another video from you soon!
@@xraytonyb I used an HP 5350A to validate this little gadget. Then I bought myself a 2-1024 divider up to 50GHz. Then I put the old HP to finally rest in the long-term storage container, for when I need it, if ever again. I mean... try to log and document using any of the old stuff. Good luck with that. And try to get a minimalist and compact working space at home. Good luck with that too. Walls and stockpiles full old HW is not sexy anymore (when possible), according to my taste.
The mains are 220V. Can you get this with mains at 120V?
Thanks for the video and for sharing your knowledge.
But for me this device is more a good random generator - it does not accurately count the frequency. Look yourselfe at 31:46 ff. Although applied to a Rubidium Source the frequency reading jumps significantly up and down. You can wait as long as you want it never stands still. In addition to the small fluctuations I found on my device which btw is equipped with the 1ppm reference clock, also deviations in the range of some 100ppm (sporadically about each 30 seconds). I'm really disappointed about this device.
It is all the fault of the internal TCXO. I observed fluctuations too using 1ppb external reference, but these fluctuations not bigger than 2ppb. Probably one cycle is missing from time to time. Yes, the guy should investigate and try to fix it. Skipping 1 cycle by intent, allowing counter to always synch to the trigger, it might be a good candidate to easily solve this.
Exactly what I was thinking, I would throw that thing straight in the trash. Reading is totally jumping around like a dollar store item.
actually chongx caps have been popping up all over the place sometimes in reasonably respectable equipment. Apparantly the are make by Cheng Tung which is actually a Taiwanese company (of course i know none of this to be a fact just what ive heard)
desolder the pcb headers for the modules and solder new ones space upby 1/8 inch
AWESOOmmee.
Those heatsinks look rather small for a 15-20 watt class A amplifier. May need a fan on them.
My thought as well! I'm going to try it as is. I want to see how it performs without any mods, even though the temptation to change it is killing me!
The spacing is there so the components can have a way to breath
Painasonic :)
looks nice, def not OLED though
Get rid of your address this time around. ;-) Wanted to make sure you knew about it the first time you uploaded it.
Thanks for the warning
this frequency counter sucks
Care to elaborate on why it sucks? Stating that it sucks without a reason isn't very constructive.
Tony, can you provide a link for the radio kits. I might like to build one.
Long time no see! Just finished a video on the radio kit. Stay tuned!
radio kit (one of many different ones on eBay):
www.ebay.com/itm/AM-FM-Radio-Kit-Parts-CF210SP-Suite-for-Ham-Electronic-lover-assemble-DIY-/221733237454?hash=item33a054b2ce:g:Wp8AAOSwrklVHh5O
I hope to get back into it. Been watching your stuff and I'm really enjoying the videos. Thanks for the info on the radio.