Calibration Type *

All Signal Hound devices are calibrated to better-than-box specs during production. However, if you require a signed calibration certificate with a printed packet of calibration data, you will need to select it below:

Warranty length *

Our standard warranty is for a 2-year time period. An extended warranty is available up to a total of five years (2-year warranty plus 3 additional years). Extended warranties are calculated at 6% of the product cost, per year.

The Signal Hound SA124B is a Software Defined Radio (SDR) optimized as a 12.4 GHz spectrum analyzer. It is compact, simple to use, and an effective troubleshooting tool for general lab use, engineering students, ham radio enthusiasts, and electronics hobbyists. Using recent innovations in RF technology, the Signal Hound has the sensitivity, accuracy and dynamic range you’d expect in a unit many times its cost.

Upgrade your SA124B to a Scalar Network Analyzer with our TG124A tracking generator—or buy the two devices in a combo and save!

Features

  • RF Frequency Range: 100 kHz to 12.4 GHz
  • Wide dynamic range: -151 dBm to +10 dBm
  • Resolution bandwidths (RBW) of 0.1 Hz to 250 KHz and 6 MHz
    • 6 MHz RBW available as an analog IF output centered at 63 MHz
      • Corresponds to U.S. analog / digital TV Channel 3
  • Includes a High Dynamic Range Measuring Receiver
    • 0.25 dB relative accuracy
    • 0 dBm to -125 dBm, 100 kHz to 1 GHz
    • 0 dBm to -115 dBm, 1 GHz to 4 GHz
    • Adjustable digital audio filters
    • Accurate AM and FM measurements
  • No external power supply needed – draws power from a dual USB cable
  • Powerful Digital Signal Processing happens on the PC
  • Software and Hardware included for one low price
  • Additional Third-Party Software Packages are available
    • TSCM software is available, and is being marketed
      as “Kestrel TSCM Software” through www.pdtg.ca
  • Write your own software with our free Application Programming Interface (API)
    • I/Q Data up to a 240 KHz bandwidth
    • Frequency Sweeps up to 140 MHz per second
  • Compatible with Windows 7/8/10 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
  • AM and FM Demodulation Measurements
  • USB 2.0 communications at 480 MBPS
  • Demodulates AM/FM/SSB/CW audio in real-time
  • Automation capability using our API
  • Measures 8 inches long
  • Weighs 12 ounces

12 reviews for SA124B — 12.4 GHz Spectrum Analyzer

  1. Avatar

    Eric R. (verified owner)

    I purchased both the SA and TG, 12GHz. The spectrum analyzer specifications seemed OK. The tracking generator was not recognized by my computer. However, the reason for return was that the user interface of the software was far too clumsy. There were several buttons like “clear” that did nothing; this was in the default mode. Units GHz MHz and the like were not easy to change. There should be sliders or some software aid to scan through numbers. On wide frequency scans the screen did nothing, other than show some useless number that was flickering; one could not tell what it was doing. The user interface was not for me. If the user interface on Spike was improved you could have a winner.

  2. Avatar

    Donnie L.

    The software is nice and feature packed. However, if there are any other programs on your Windows 10 computer, connection to the Analyzer becomes difficult at best. Driver load times can be up to ten minutes. I rate it poorly for this reason. There are no means of selecting the number of sample points for CVS export for excel plotting. This type of work is useless with this software as the sample points are over 16001.
    Otherwise, a nice small feature packed Analyzer.

  3. Avatar

    Scott M. (verified owner)

    Pros: affordable, computer-based spectrum analyzer that does exactly what it advertises.
    Cons: requires Microsoft Windows. This is literally the only piece of computer-based test equipment I own (out of several oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, signal generators, ICEs, serial emulators, etc, etc) that does; I have a computer whose sole job is to run this software, which is does, flakily.

  4. Avatar

    David W.

    I keep mine in the car so I can always have it with me. There is nothing like one of these to look at signals above 4 GHz easily (and able to look at other ones lower). It is great for identifying and studying signals up in the multiple GHZ range in an area. I use it with both Spike and the HDSDR plug-in.

  5. Avatar

    John F. (verified owner)

    Purchased the SA124B and the BB60C; both are excellent products and do exactly what the specifications indicated.

  6. Avatar

    Philip B. (verified owner)

    I have purchased almost all of the signal hound product line. They are the core test equipment of my business. The results I have obtained and sent to my customers has allowed me to stay in the forefront of radio design consulting as a single employee company. I believe that competitive contracts which I have won are in part due to proposals generated by the signal hound test suite. I will continue to use signal hound equipment exclusively and look forward to additions to the test suite as they become available.

  7. Avatar

    Michael P. (verified owner)

    I purchased the Signal Hound USB-SA124B spectrum analyzer and also have the USB-TG124A tracking generator to provide a scalar network generator. I am very satisfied with the performance of these products. Actually when I purchased these items I did not expect such high performance test equipment for the price.

    I am a RF engineer and use these units as part of my primary test equipment. I design wireless products as a contract engineer for multiple companies. Some of my customers have high end name brand spectrum analyzers that cost 20 times as much and my measurements calibrate quite nicely to theirs when they confirm performance on prototypes I deliver.

    Excellent product.

  8. Avatar

    Phillip F.

    I wanted a light compact spectrum analyzer. The Signal Hound is that plus a lot more. It does everything that is advertised. It has been trouble free, the directions are easy to read. This is one product that I would recommend and have.

  9. Avatar

    Avraham S. (verified owner)

    Yes, we are happy with the performance of the signal hound USB-SA124B — 12.4 GHz Spectrum Analyzer

  10. Avatar

    Gene C. (verified owner)

    In January 2015 I quit my job as an RF design engineer and began doing some independent consulting. My first job involved design and test of some cell phone equipment and I needed a spectrum analyzer. I looked around, read some reviews and decided to go with the Signal Hound SA124B. I also bought a TG124A tracking generator to go along with the spectrum analyzer.
    I installed the drivers and the display software with no problems. I plugged in the SA and TG, started the software, and I had a working spectrum analyzer. I was using an older, spare computer that did not meet the Signal Hound minimum recommended requirements. It worked but the maximum update rate was only about 2 frames per second. About a month later I decided to get a better computer and what a difference in speed. I was surprised at how well this spectrum analyzer worked. Sensitivity and general performance was certainly much better than I expected for the price.
    Tracking Generator
    I could never understand why none of the spectrum analyzers that I used at companies I had worked for in the past were not equipped with a tracking generators. I tracking generator is a fairly low cost option, relative to the cost of the analyzer, and adding a tracking generator adds the capability of a scalar network analyzer to the spectrum analyzer. Plus, if a scalar network analyzer is not needed then the tracking generator can be operated independently and used as an independent oscillator, at least the Signal Hound tracking generator can.
    After a few months of use the tracking generator developed an intermittent at the RF output connector. I sent it back to Signal Hound for repair and had it back about a week later. It’s been fine ever since.
    The display and control software has seen some tremendous improvements since I first turned my system on. The analyzer and tracking generator programs have been combined into one program called Spike. The Spike software allows the spectrum analyzer to do automatic measurements of harmonics, phase noise, Modulation analysis (AM, FM QPSK, EVM, etc.) to name a few. All of the software updates have been free.
    I was working with another engineer on the cell phone project who was doing the antenna design. He was so impressed with my Signal Hound setup that he purchased his own.
    I can wholeheartedly recommend the Signal Hound SA124B. If you need a spectrum analyzer and don’t have thousands of dollars to spend then this is the one.

  11. Avatar

    Robert Smith (verified owner)

    In our work we develop prototypes of RF systems. We have struggled in the past using handheld and bench top analyzers as tag along devices for RF systems we were testing or demonstrating. We found the Signalhound to be easy to work with, rapidly programmable and to be of a size that we can incorporate into our prototypes so that external equipment is not required. We are also pleased to find added features and performance from this device that we were unable to find from other much more expensive sources.

  12. Avatar

    Prof. F. Simon

    We own 4 products from SH: 4 GHz spectrum analyzer in combination with a tracking generator, and the same for the 12 GHz version. We use them extensively for scalar network analysis when building our customized microwave instruments for spectroscopy (in physics). The products have a great price to performance ratio. We had complications when installing the drivers and running the instruments, having a strong hardware was the key. Besides the pros, we encountered a very annoying problem: we often (3-5 times per day) screw-unscrew our units and cables onto the devices. After a few months ,the female SMA connectors broke and started to loose the inner pins. Given that we have other similar devices which have endured the same treatment over several years, we reckon that Signalhound was saving on the quality/cost of the connectors. Given that we were over the guarantee, we attempted to change the connectors ourselves, which has lead to deteriorated performance at 10 GHz. At present, we are using the devices while having a short SMA female-male adapter attached to it permanently, to avoid damage to the connectors on the devices.

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Device dimensions

Version

SA124B — 12.4 GHz Spectrum Analyzer - Standard

Weight.74 lbs (.34 kg)
Dimensions7.65" x 3.18" x 1.18" (19.4 x 8 x 3 cm)
Version

SA124B — 12.4 GHz Spectrum Analyzer - Option 2, Adds OCXO Timebase

Weight.74 lbs (.34 kg)
Dimensions7.65" x 3.18" x 1.18" (19.4 x 8 x 3 cm)

Product-in-packaging dimensions

Version

Weight1.48 (.67 kg)
Dimensions9.25" x 5.44" x 3.13" (23.5 x 13.8 x 7.95 cm)

Software and Drivers

Spike software

  • Spectrum analysis software for all Signal Hound spectrum analyzers.
  • Download and install the USB drivers separately.
  • Unzip (extract all files and run Spike Installer.msi and CDM v2.12.00 WHQL Certified.exe)

Signal Hound Software Development Kit

  • Read API Docs
  • Programming interface for SA44 and SA124 devices.
  • Low level direct device control and measurements.

Product Manuals

Legacy Software

This is no longer the main software installer for the SA and TG products. (for the latest software, see the Spike page)

Software Installer Version 2.18B for the SA44B / SA124B / TG44A / TG124A.

Additional Downloads

HDSDR Compatibility Files (Updated 11-11-2020)

  • Everything needed to use the HDSDR software with the SA44 and SA124 spectrum analyzers. Includes setup manual, interface files, and source.