antenna analyzers

[Old Barney]

I had a friend bring over his VNA analyzer. little thing very hard to see outside trying to tune an antenna. Yeh it was a sunny day and all we could see was our own face reflecting off the screen. If you shaded with one hand then you had to use your thumb and fiddle with menu. What we could make out was ok.
I'm used to using an Anritsu, and can use one from a fiend. But the Anritsu only goes down to 25MHZ. I'm looking at a MINI1300 if I can talk the wife into letting me buy one?? I may use the Anritsu to tune my 10 meter and 6 meter antennas but the HF I will try my MFJ 259?
I want to make a flexible RG214 25 foot jumper so I can stand back and not affect the tuning process.
While contemplating the bright day usage of the VNA analyzer I thought about using an instrument flight hood to be able to see out side?? I may be able to fashion one from cardboard.

 

[Woody-202]

I had a friend bring over his VNA analyzer. little thing very hard to see outside trying to tune an antenna. Yeh it was a sunny day and all we could see was our own face reflecting off the screen. If you shaded with one hand then you had to use your thumb and fiddle with menu. What we could make out was ok.
I'm used to using an Anritsu, and can use one from a fiend. But the Anritsu only goes down to 25MHZ. I'm looking at a MINI1300 if I can talk the wife into letting me buy one?? I may use the Anritsu to tune my 10 meter and 6 meter antennas but the HF I will try my MFJ 259?
I want to make a flexible RG214 25 foot jumper so I can stand back and not affect the tuning process.
While contemplating the bright day usage of the VNA analyzer I thought about using an instrument flight hood to be able to see out side?? I may be able to fashion one from cardboard.

You're right about those glossy color screens outdoors. I wish the ICOM IC-705 had a toggle to go from color to b&w (grayscale).

 

[Moleculo]

I use both a Rigexpert AA-600 and a Nano VNA H4. They both serve a purpose but I really like the price point and size of the nano VNA. I can put it in a backpack and if it breaks, it costs under $100 to buy a new one.

 

[Old Barney]

The mini1300 will be here day after tomorrow. I should have the cables built by then.

 

[brandon7861]

One feature I wish more handheld VNA's had was the ability to connect to a home network (if they do now, please correct me). The SVA1032x (not handheld) has an ethernet port, and if connected to a wifi router (no internet necessary), full control of the unit can be had on a smart phone via web browser over the router's wifi. With that I can connect to the coax inside and take my phone outside and up the tower. Sometimes it is nice to not be tethered to the other end of the coax.

I guess one could always use the nanoVNA app and teamviewer into that phone via a different phone, but that requires internet for teamviewer...

 

[9C1Driver]

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/reu-stick-500

I'm really considering this one.

 

[sp5it]

If you like it, get it.
But NanoVNA eats it for a breakfast. And cost 4x less.
Mike

 

[9C1Driver]

I'll check that one out.

 

[Enterprise312ok]

If you like it, get it.
But NanoVNA eats it for a breakfast. And cost 4x less.
Mike

Ditto

 

[sp5it]

If you eventually will be getting NanoVNA make sure it will be genuine H4. https://nanovna.com/?page_id=121

 

[Old Barney]

I like the MINI1300 so far holds a charge couple hours while I was trying to tune an antenna. the manual is NOT written for this old fart without a magnifying glass. Outside use is better than the little one my friend brought over. It still reflects badly but with back to the sun and shading it is very readable.

 

[L2]

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/reu-stick-500

I'm really considering this one.

I love mine! Here it is tuning a cb antenna.

 

[brandon7861]

At least with the smith chart plot on a nanoVNA, you can just look at it and intuitively know what kind of component and where to add it to bring it to a match. That's not so easy when the main display is SWR and you have to fiddle around in menus just to get R+jX to appear on the screen.

Before making a decision, watch a couple of those videos showing a nanoVNA connected to a tuner. You don't have to be committed to learning smith charts to realize that it will eventually serve you well.

A pair of good readers are a small price to pay to graduate beyond rigexperts little 40 x 40 pixels. In my opinion, RigExperts are for people that are happy checking SWR and have no interest in ever learning how to actually tune/match antennas. Just shorten it until you get 5 stars on the screen, ok lol

 

[brandon7861]

Im not talking bad about people that bought one, just pointing out that you might soon realize the functionality/price ratio was not quite there.

 

[OldModel]

Little FG-01. Shirt pocket size and works very well.