Thanks for supporting this project with your order. We hope you received your unit in perfect condition and are ready to use it for the first time. On this starting page you can get everything you need to get your Spectrum Analyzer up and running.
If you received a RF Explorer Signal Generator device, please visit the dedicated page at Getting Started with Signal Generator.
Note: If your RF Explorer PLUS unit displays a message "ERROR Expansion S/N Missing" please follow these simple steps to fix the message [link]
Software and Documents
All documents, software downloads and firmware upgrade details are available from our download page. Make sure you visit it to get the best possible value from your instrument.
Specifically the latest user manual is available at www.rf-explorer.com/manual
Protecting your instrument from strong RF fields
If you are like us, the first thing you want to do is to power up your unit and play with it. This is perfectly ok; just make sure you are not near any strong RF field before plugin in your antenna in the SMA connector. At very same instant you plug in the antenna, the device will start receiving RF energy even if it is powered off. This is not much of an issue if you are using a 6G Combo, a 3G Combo or WSUB1G PLUS, but some basline RF Explorer models like WSUB1G are protected from moderate RF signals only, not against very strong fields.
Please read this article for more details on how to protect your device from strong RF fields. Failing to do so may damage your RF Explorer.
Using the internal battery
This is a battery operated device, please charge the battery fully before use; it comes with half charge as the standard way to extend the battery life when it is stored for an undetermined period of time on the warehouse. But to use it you should fully charge it. Never charge your device unattended.
As recommended in the user manual, a first full charge and battery calibration procedure is recommended to correctly use your device. More details on this article
Note the device will automatically switch ON as soon as you plug it in the USB port, but that doesn't mean it is being charged: to charge the battery you need to switch the battery power to ON. There are more details on this FAQ article, including battery handling and care information.
Firmware upgrade
We suggest upgrading your unit to the very latest firmware available. Everything is available in the download area and full instructions are available on this article.
If you ordered an Expansion Module together with your main unit, you may want to follow these simple instructions to install and use it.
Computer Software
You can connect your Windows PC, Mac or Linux to RF Explorer for additional functionality and stunning fullscreen color graphics, please check the download area as well as the user manual online.
Additional software from third parties with support for Mac, Linux and Windows is available at RF Explorer software page.
Keep updated on news
Last but not least, there are a few online pointers you may want to be aware of:
• Latest news, subscribe to RSS feed or follow us on Twitter
• General support distribution list where you can discuss details with the community and ask for help on specific usage scenarios
• RC Group support thread for RC and FPV pilots
• Article list and FAQ
If you run into any problem or question, let us know. We want this to be a useful tool, your comments, questions and suggestions are of high value to us.