Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
To be contrary; Not as low cost, but I would suggest the German/English VNWA
I have them all, and on the bench I prefer to use the VNWA
Lester B Veenstra K1YCM M?YCM W8YCM 6Y6Y W8YCM/6Y 6Y8LV (REformed CTM1)
lester@...
452 Stable Ln (HC84 RFD USPS Mail)
Keyser WV 26726
GPS: 39.336826 N 78.982287 W (Google)
GPS: 39.33682 N 78.9823741 W (GPSDO)
Telephones:
Home: +1-304-289-6057
US cell +1-304-790-9192
Jamaica cell: +1-876-456-8898
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto: [email protected]] On Behalf Of Frank Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2022 3:32 PM To: [email protected]Subject: [nanovna-users] Which NANO VNA To Buy ? I've been thinking about purchasing a VNA. I mainly will need it for HF and VHF and I will only be using it once in a while for tuning a few antennas I have in my attic. I have been looking on Amazon and eBay and saw so many versions and also so many different prices. Saw V2, V4.3 and SA, H4 ? Its really been overwhelming. ! Any ideas on which one would be best for me ? Frank
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
Frank,
Order your H4 from L and R Electronics. They are trustworthy. I got mine there.
Dave K8WPE
David J. Wilcox¡¯s iPad
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Oct 18, 2022, at 6:00 PM, Frank <rftech@...> wrote:
?I've been thinking about purchasing a VNA. I mainly will need it for HF and VHF and I will only be using it once in a while for tuning a few antennas I have in my attic.
I have been looking on Amazon and eBay and saw so many versions and also so many different prices.
Saw V2, V4.3 and SA, H4 ? Its really been overwhelming. !
Any ideas on which one would be best for me ?
Frank
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
I have the same needs. Started with the first H2 models. After two years upgraded to an SAA2. In all cases I rarely use the onboard screen. I use the computer.
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
My H4 came with pigtails included.
Mike
--
Mike
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
SV4401a.
This VNA has a 7" display
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
R&L worked fine for me.
Mike C.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 10/18/2022 3:32 PM, Frank wrote: I've been thinking about purchasing a VNA. I mainly will need it for HF and VHF and I will only be using it once in a while for tuning a few antennas I have in my attic.
I have been looking on Amazon and eBay and saw so many versions and also so many different prices.
Saw V2, V4.3 and SA, H4 ? Its really been overwhelming. !
Any ideas on which one would be best for me ?
Frank
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
Here's the URL for the Zeenko store on Aliexpress, for ease of reference:
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
Clones of the NanoVNA-H and -H4 generally don't work as well, and they
aren't much cheaper. The best US supplier is R&L Electronics. You can also
order from the Zeenko Store on AliExpress; that is Hugen's own store. R&L
costs a bit more but you get it faster.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Tue, Oct 18, 2022, 7:52 PM Papaw WE4G <sonny_1946@...> wrote: Another question is sources to buy from. I have seen Information stating
all nanovnas from Amazon are clones. Are clones safe to buy
Harold
WE4G
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
On 10/18/22 3:50 PM, Chris Gardner via groups.io wrote: I agree, you can't go wrong with the H4. But, you will also need a couple of?adapters. SMA to whatever termination / connector type you have on your antenna?system already.?PS: I also highly recommend you download a copy of the latest version of the?Absolute Beginners Guide located in the files section. that way you can hit the?ground running with whatever you choose to purchase.73's
Yep -- I'd get 6 or 12" pigtails rather than adapters. Strain relief is a good thing. You'll quickly find that even RG-8X is much stiffer than the SMA connectors.
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
On 10/18/22 12:32 PM, Frank wrote: I've been thinking about purchasing a VNA. I mainly will need it for HF and VHF and I will only be using it once in a while for tuning a few antennas I have in my attic.
I have been looking on Amazon and eBay and saw so many versions and also so many different prices.
Saw V2, V4.3 and SA, H4 ? Its really been overwhelming. ! There are... Any ideas on which one would be best for me ? A couple ideas to think about: Are you looking for something to use by itself, outside? Then one with a 4" display is better than one with the 2.5" display. On the other hand, if you'll be using it mostly hooked up to a computer, then the smaller screen (cheaper) one works just as well. The original NanoVNA is pretty robust to damage from ESD, since it has resistive bridges/pads on both ports. The NanoVNA V2 (aka SAA2) which goes up to 3 GHz(V2_2, V2 Plus) or 4 GHz (V2Plus4)has RF switches on the ports which are fairly sensitive to ESD. but has generally better performance. If you're not doing microwave stuff - I'd go with the older more robust vanilla NanoVNA Also, there are some differences in what kind of battery (does it come with it installed, or is it separate) and some have a SD card slot, some don't. If you're measuring stuff using PL-259/SO-239 UHF connectors, get yourself some SMA to UHF pigtails. You can also get adapters, but the pigtail calibrates out, and provides essential strain relief so that 2" hardline to your 80meter 3 element yagi doesn't break the tiny connector on the NanoVNA.
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
Another question is sources to buy from. I have seen Information stating all nanovnas from Amazon are clones. Are clones safe to buy
Harold
WE4G
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
I agree, you can't go wrong with the H4. But, you will also need a couple of?adapters. SMA to whatever termination / connector type you have on your antenna?system already.?PS: I also highly recommend you download a copy of the latest version of the?Absolute Beginners Guide located in the files section. that way you can hit the?ground running with whatever you choose to purchase.73's
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at 06:40:35 PM EDT, Stan Dye <standye@...> wrote: For that use case I would recommend the H4.? It has the larger screen that makes it a bit easier to use stand-alone, and has a full set of features with any recent version of firmware. On Tue, Oct 18, 2022, 3:00 PM Frank <rftech@...> wrote: I've been thinking about purchasing a VNA. I mainly will need it for HF
and VHF and I will only be using it once in a while for tuning a few
antennas I have in my attic.
I have been looking on Amazon and eBay and saw so many versions and also
so many different prices.
Saw V2, V4.3 and SA, H4 ? Its really been overwhelming. !
Any ideas on which one would be best for me ?
Frank
|
Re: Which NANO VNA To Buy ?
For that use case I would recommend the H4. It has the larger screen that
makes it a bit easier to use stand-alone, and has a full set of features
with any recent version of firmware.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Tue, Oct 18, 2022, 3:00 PM Frank <rftech@...> wrote: I've been thinking about purchasing a VNA. I mainly will need it for HF
and VHF and I will only be using it once in a while for tuning a few
antennas I have in my attic.
I have been looking on Amazon and eBay and saw so many versions and also
so many different prices.
Saw V2, V4.3 and SA, H4 ? Its really been overwhelming. !
Any ideas on which one would be best for me ?
Frank
|
I've been thinking about purchasing a VNA. I mainly will need it for HF and VHF and I will only be using it once in a while for tuning a few antennas I have in my attic.
I have been looking on Amazon and eBay and saw so many versions and also so many different prices.
Saw V2, V4.3 and SA, H4 ? Its really been overwhelming. !
Any ideas on which one would be best for me ?
Frank
|
Hi,
I don't know whether or not this applicable, but I was having a very strange display.? I put the NanoVNA in CW mode and noticed the output was low (~-50dBm).? I replaced the SI5351 and that cured the low output problem, but the unit was still not operating properly. I replace all three SA612's and still no luck.? I did not have any output on CLK2 of the SI5351, so I replaced it again, and that fixed the problem. The SI5351 lead spacing is tight, so I may not have had the first one installed correctly.
Tom?? W0IVJ
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 10/17/2022 2:31 PM, Jerry Stuckle wrote: Hi, Jim,
Yes, that's always possible even though I've been very careful in inserting into the jack - to the point I even use a female-male SMA adapter to protect the one on the NanoVNA. But that's no assurance I didn't screw up installing the adapter, either - just that I only do it once when I get the NanoVNA out instead of multiple different connectors.
|
Jerry,
On most NanoVNA models, the shields are removable without desoldering. They have little surface-mount clips to hold them in place. A good magnifier is helpful.
--John Gord
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Mon, Oct 17, 2022 at 09:30 PM, Jerry Stuckle wrote:
I took the cover off today. The SMA connector is solidly soldered to the top
of the board. However, it also looks like its pins go through the board and
may be soldered on the back side. But there's a shield over that side part so
I can't see if that is soldered or not. Can anyone tell me if the connector
is soldered on the back side of the board or not? I hesitate to takeoff the
shield unless I absolutely have to.
TIA es 73,
Jerry, AI0K
|
I took the cover off today. The SMA connector is solidly soldered to the top of the board. However, it also looks like its pins go through the board and may be soldered on the back side. But there's a shield over that side part so I can't see if that is soldered or not. Can anyone tell me if the connector is soldered on the back side of the board or not? I hesitate to takeoff the shield unless I absolutely have to.
TIA es 73,
Jerry, AI0K
|
Hi, Jim,
Yes, that's always possible even though I've been very careful in inserting into the jack - to the point I even use a female-male SMA adapter to protect the one on the NanoVNA. But that's no assurance I didn't screw up installing the adapter, either - just that I only do it once when I get the NanoVNA out instead of multiple different connectors.
|
Hi again, Dave,
That's possible with the pigtails I have but I would think the open/short/load connectors that came with the device would work. Of course, there's always the other problem that one of the connectors i got is larger and has spread the center conductor hole. It doesn't look like that happened, but it's so hard to tell on these small connectors.
In any case I'm going to take the case apart tonight and see what it looks like on the board. If it is the connector I don't know what to do about it.
Thanks es 73,
Jerry, AI0K
|
On 10/17/22 12:58 PM, W0LEV wrote: It may be a "rocking" SMA connector on the board. However, another problem
I've experienced with connectors and adaptors from China is tolerance on
the center pin. I've run into the situation where the center pin has too
small of a radius / diameter to properly mate with the mating connector.
Rock it back and forth and look for discontinuous changes in the data.
+1 It could be either the jack (center hole is a bit too big) or the pin (too small). You can get the former by not being careful when mating (at a bit of an angle) or if the center conductor is rotated).
|
David Wilcox K8WPE
F4WCV
Roger DL2YDP
Mike C.
va3rr
Shirley Dulcey KE1L