2 Days
Description
The Radio Principles – Practical Workshop (RP2501) is a two-day hands-on training course designed to reinforce core radio communication principles through practical experimentation and equipment operation. Participants work in small groups rotating through a series of technical workstations, each focused on commonly used radio engineering tools and systems.
Through guided exercises, delegates gain practical experience using equipment such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, vector network analysers, radio test sets, and software-defined radio platforms. The workshop also introduces practical radio configuration techniques including fleetmapping and programming of analogue PMR and DMR radios using Customer Programming Software (CPS).
By combining theory reinforcement with practical measurement, configuration, and signal analysis activities, the course helps participants build confidence in using industry-standard test equipment and in understanding how radio systems behave in real-world scenarios.
Learning Outcomes
- By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Use an oscilloscope to identify radio waveforms and measure signal characteristics such as frequency and amplitude
- Configure analogue PMR and DMR radios using Customer Programming Software (CPS), including channels, zones, talk groups, time slots and colour codes
- Perform basic RF performance measurements including transmit power and receiver sensitivity using a radio test set
- Use a spectrum analyser to observe signals, harmonics, spurious emissions and off-air activity
- Use a vector network analyser (VNA) to measure VSWR and examine RF filter characteristics using Smith charts
- Understand the basic principles of software-defined radio (SDR) and implement a simple receiver using GNU Radio Companion
- Interpret measurement results and relate them to the performance and behaviour of practical radio systems
Who Would Benefit
- This workshop is intended for engineers and technical professionals who require practical experience with radio measurement tools and radio system configuration. It is particularly suitable for:
- Radio and RF engineers seeking hands-on familiarity with common test equipment
Telecommunications engineers working with private mobile radio (PMR) or digital mobile radio (DMR) systems
- Field technicians responsible for installation, testing, or maintenance of radio systems
- Technical staff supporting radio network deployment or troubleshooting
Anyone wishing to reinforce theoretical radio principles through practical exercises
- Participants will gain confidence in operating radio test and analysis equipment while developing practical skills in radio system configuration and performance measurement.
Workshop Contents
- The Oscilloscope
- Fleetmapping
- Vector Network Analyser
- Software Defined Radio
- Radio Text Set
- Spectrum Analyser
There are six sets of equipment as depicted below. Depending on the group size the equipment will be used by delegates working in groups so a class size of 12 can easily be accommodated.
With each set of equipment there will be a series of exercises designed to reinforce the theory learned in the classroom and a chance to learn how to operate commonly used equipment. Once a group has completed the set of exercises, they ‘rotate’ to the next piece of equipment.
