No, I was not recommending connecing a VNA to the output of a rig directly.
I was referring for the need to use one (properly) to determine for example
if a PA was sprogging first, in order to verify a fundamental power out issue
first, before assuming that a broadband? additive power meter is telling you
the truth.
I was trying trying to highlight the difference between selective frequency
power meters and non selective, and that in *some* situations you may be
fooled by them.
One superb recent classic example of this is of those dumb users that
are modding things like Quansheng HT's of late for broadband use.
Custom firmware allows 18-1300Mhz instead of the usual 2m/70cm
bands.
Then you get the CB'ers claing 5w on 27Mhz with them.
Oh no you're not.
These fools are using trashy wideband additive power meters that show
5w when the rig is keyed, but 4.999w is coming out somewhere daft
at about 120Mhz - not good at all.
Now there's a real life example to illustrate the point.
Brilliant HT's when used within the usual 137-176Mhz or 400-470Mhz range
on TX where the filters do their job, whilst offering some amazing experimental
features and a useful wideband multimode RX from 18-1300Mhz, but
deffo not for TX outside the above two ranges mentioned above.
Anyway, this is more of a general purpose RF post rather than a specific
FT817 on, my apologies for some topic drift.
73 de Andy
