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I Just bought and received in the post one of these Nano VNA antenna testing units. First impressions is it's a nice little piece of kit. I have tested some of my 2/70 handy antennas with interesting results! I paid £29 pounds for mine on ebay. I'll report back when I've played some more with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA1HyScp96w
Victor CT Directors
Call Sign : 26-CT-3228 / M7VIC Posts : 6260 Times Thanked : 389 Join date : 2019-11-10 QTH or Location : Bedford Equipment Used : Various
I thought the MFJ259 antenna analyser I borrowed from a Ham friend was awesome but a working VNA for just £29!?!? Begs belief!
Looks like I'd struggle with my strongest glasses to read that screen though
Be interesting to see how you get on with it.
All the best, Victor
_________________ Theory means that we know everything, but nothing works. Practice means that everything works, but we don't know why. Often, however, theory is closely related to practice. It means nothing works and nobody knows why ...
GaryWilson CT Directors
Call Sign : 26-CT-1836 Amateur Radio Call Sign 2E0GGQ Posts : 4466 Times Thanked : 385 Join date : 2019-06-27 QTH or Location : Redcar, North Yorkshire. Equipment Used : Radios & Wires & Stuff! Age : 59
Subject: Re: Nano VNA 50Hz-900MHz Vector Network Analyzer Wed Nov 27, 2019 5:58 am
Hi Vic,
You have to wonder how the Chinese do this stuff at the prices they achieve, that was delivered as well no additional postage. As you'd expect it came with no instructions whatsoever but a few hours on YouTube last night got me able to pull the basic info out of the system.
The screen isn't too small but I definitely needed my reading glasses to see it properly.
For £29 quid you can't go far wrong. The readings are pretty much what I would expect so far so I think it's fairly accurate when it's calibrated. I'll pop it on my H.F. Antennas over the next few days and see what that reveals.
73's Gary.
Victor CT Directors
Call Sign : 26-CT-3228 / M7VIC Posts : 6260 Times Thanked : 389 Join date : 2019-11-10 QTH or Location : Bedford Equipment Used : Various
Subject: Re: Nano VNA 50Hz-900MHz Vector Network Analyzer Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:20 am
Yeah, sparked my interest
Open source, Chinese manufacture, hence the price. (Usually thousands for a bench VNA!) Plus no multiple VAT, fat CEO's, board of directors, shareholders & investors (hidden behind "R&D" costs!)
I know, very much "technical" boys toys
That's what has been nice for me with a renewed interest in radio, seem to be firing on all neurons once again!
_________________ Theory means that we know everything, but nothing works. Practice means that everything works, but we don't know why. Often, however, theory is closely related to practice. It means nothing works and nobody knows why ...
GaryWilson CT Directors
Call Sign : 26-CT-1836 Amateur Radio Call Sign 2E0GGQ Posts : 4466 Times Thanked : 385 Join date : 2019-06-27 QTH or Location : Redcar, North Yorkshire. Equipment Used : Radios & Wires & Stuff! Age : 59
Go on Vic, you know you wan't to bud, perhaps you can teach me how to use it properly!
Glad the neurons are fired up again Vic, you'll be back on the phasor and vector diagrams soon enough, not to mention intermodulation products and harmonics!
73's Gary.
Victor CT Directors
Call Sign : 26-CT-3228 / M7VIC Posts : 6260 Times Thanked : 389 Join date : 2019-11-10 QTH or Location : Bedford Equipment Used : Various
I wish Gary, I'm a bit more "old school". Unless it's got buttons and knobs, maybe a cathode ray tube, I'm usually at a loss!
However, I have added one of these to my "Christmas list". Who knows, perhaps I can update myself
Good on yer Gary, hope you suss the little b*gger out. If Santa's kind you'll be able to give me some pointers!
All the best mate, Victor
_________________ Theory means that we know everything, but nothing works. Practice means that everything works, but we don't know why. Often, however, theory is closely related to practice. It means nothing works and nobody knows why ...
GaryWilson CT Directors
Call Sign : 26-CT-1836 Amateur Radio Call Sign 2E0GGQ Posts : 4466 Times Thanked : 385 Join date : 2019-06-27 QTH or Location : Redcar, North Yorkshire. Equipment Used : Radios & Wires & Stuff! Age : 59
Subject: Re: Nano VNA 50Hz-900MHz Vector Network Analyzer Thu Nov 28, 2019 5:31 am
Nice one Vic,
It looks like it's going to take me until Christmas to fathom it all out but at least for now I can do a nifty SWR sweep, it does show your losses in db as well which is pretty neat! Smith charts though Vic right over my head!!!!
73's Gary.
43CT016 Major contributor
Call Sign : 43-CT-016 Posts : 368 Times Thanked : 22 Join date : 2019-11-17 QTH or Location : Perth Equipment Used : iCom IC-7610/IC-9700/IC-705 Age : 55
Subject: Re: Nano VNA 50Hz-900MHz Vector Network Analyzer Thu Nov 28, 2019 11:20 am
Yeah, I grabbed one too. Download a copy of NanoVNASharp and run it on a laptop next to the VNA and you get realtime updates on a nice big screen.
I've got a RigExpert AA-35 analyser which I take with me everywhere, but it's a but more bulky than that. There is also a big difference in build quality and likely durability "in the field" but I am tempted by one of those because it goes up to VHF - I fancy building something outrageous for 446 for my home QTH as 11m is just too noisy.
I have been meaning to get to grips with Smith charts since I first came across them in "HF Antennas for all locations" by Les Moxon 30+ years ago but I am still to get round to that
GaryWilson CT Directors
Call Sign : 26-CT-1836 Amateur Radio Call Sign 2E0GGQ Posts : 4466 Times Thanked : 385 Join date : 2019-06-27 QTH or Location : Redcar, North Yorkshire. Equipment Used : Radios & Wires & Stuff! Age : 59
I've got a RigExpert AA-35 analyser which I take with me everywhere, but it's a but more bulky than that. There is also a big difference in build quality and likely durability "in the field" but I am tempted by one of those because it goes up to VHF - I fancy building something outrageous for 446 for my home QTH as 11m is just too noisy.
I have been meaning to get to grips with Smith charts since I first came across them in "HF Antennas for all locations" by Les Moxon 30+ years ago but I am still to get round to that
Nice one, I don't think these things are going to be any good in a wet environment most of the electrics are exposed, I just put the Wilson 1000 on a metal bed frame I couldn't be bothered to put it on the car and it measured the lowest point of resonance at 26.300 Mhz. The SWR was over 2 with 6db of loss. I know with sufficient grounding it's spot on but was just messing around. I'm now looking for stuff to measure lols!
73's Gary.
aleksandar Contributor
Call Sign : 45CT001 Posts : 77 Times Thanked : 9 Join date : 2020-10-09 QTH or Location : Kikinda Equipment Used : crt ss6900n, ss3900black, roadstar rm 550
Yesterday at 10:45 pm by Craigo
Subject: Nano VNA 50Hz-900MHz Vector Network Analyzer 
