Webinar on Spurious Emission Testing for Amateur Radio Transmitters

Elektor is set to host an engaging live webinar on Thursday, 4 June 2026, focusing on spurious emissions testing of amateur radio transmitters under ETSI EN 301 783-1. The session will feature Sebastian from Baltic Lab, who will be joining Elektor host Brian Tristam Williams. This webinar is tailored for engineers, RF experimenters, amateur radio operators, and anyone utilizing a spectrum analyzer for compliance, pre-compliance, or serious bench measurements. The primary aim of the session is to delve into practical measurement practices rather than delving into broad EMC theory.

Despite being a €50 show, this webinar is being offered for free by Elektor Academy Pro. Interested participants are encouraged to register for the event to secure their spot.

The €50 webinar is made accessible at no cost thanks to Elektor Academy Pro. The live stream is scheduled to take place at 16:00 CEST, 14:00 UTC, and 10:00 EDT on 4 June.

The webinar will primarily focus on ETSI EN 301 783-1, which outlines the technical characteristics and measurement methods for commercially available amateur radio equipment. This topic holds relevance beyond the amateur radio bench, as similar issues arise in RF product development, prototype validation, and pre-compliance checks. The session will cover essential topics such as spurious emissions, their significance for spectrum integrity, and the potential pitfalls in seemingly reasonable measurements.

During the session, Sebastian will delve into crucial aspects like resolution bandwidth, attenuation, cables, correction factors, frequency spans, test loads, and spectrum analyzer settings. Mishandling these elements can distort or invalidate readings, underscoring the importance of meticulous measurement practices.

The webinar emphasizes that transmitter testing goes beyond merely connecting RF hardware to an analyzer and identifying unwanted peaks. Factors like cable loss, attenuator selection, reference bandwidth, test power conditions, and uncertainty levels all play a role in determining the accuracy of results. This disciplined approach is valuable for teams working on RF hardware, whether for formal testing, internal procedures, or engineering assessments.

Elektor will also be conducting a giveaway during the live session, offering participants a chance to win a tinySA Ultra+ ZS407 Spectrum Analyzer. This compact handheld device serves as a practical tool for exploring frequency spans, analyzer settings, and RF measurement challenges. The webinar serves as a timely reminder that reliable RF measurements hinge not only on the instrument used but also on the setup and methodology employed.