Any Lindos LA102 users here?

Hi,

I picked up a Lindos LA102 recently. Lindos offer an upgrade for £500 which updates it to current spec, including a new case: http://www.lindos.co.uk/la100upgrade.html

Although it's free to users of the smaller Lindos test sets, for LA100 owners the software costs £250.

Can anyone advise? I suspect the Silver upgrade is worth it, but is the software? It simply gives you a print out of the panel values, and doesn't have a real-time FFT (what I really want...).

TIA

Justin

We have lots of them. I've used the upgraded version and had it dump results to a PC over RS232 IIRC. Or was that the LeCroy 'scope?....

For a basic real-time FFT, try using an iPod or iPhone, or soundcard plus computer.

(Hmmm... that wouldn't be three AA lithium cells in some heatshrink, would it?)

It sure would be...

Thanks. How on earth do you get realtime FFT with an Ipod?

My (RME) soundcard still doesn't work, so I'm stuck for a PC analyser at the moment. The Lindos struck me as a good idea because it doesn't need a host, which saves bench space (test gear corner is sprawling...).

Let's say I do pony up for the Silver upgrade - I guess it'll be worth it for resale, right? How much would you get for a Silver LA102? £3k list...

Much as I'd like to do the work myself, how on earth would I calibrate it?

Justin

edit - the Lindos is the last piece of gear on earth that uses RS232, Roddy. Not that it's a bad thing per-se, just a bit of an anachronism these days.

Ideally, I'd like an FFT that goes down to below -120dB... That's the domain of a decent 24-bit soundcard, or an expensive bench analyser...

thermionic said:

Thanks. How on earth do you get realtime FFT with an Ipod?

Click to expand...

There are several apps available. Some pre-eq. the iPhones mic! Otherwise you can use the line-in. I'd guess so-so 16-bit dynamic range.

I can't comment on resale value of Lindoses (Lindii?). I can't remember even us getting ours calibrated, but I'd guess it isn't simple. In my department we tend to use the older beige models. The new models are with the projects guys for end-to-end testing (and recording the specs to show that they meet broadcast spec.).

There are actually quite a lot of older bits of kit that "still" use RS232. We've written touch-screen drivers on our own control system for most of these things for remote control of spectrum analysers, etc.