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Off topic nanoVNA: EZNEC
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F1AMM
Hello
I carefully follow the exchanges on /g/nanovna-users I see that many are also tinkering with the antennas. I'm taking my first steps with EZNEC. I translated Roy W. Lewallen's documentation into French by redoing the exercises he prescribed. Roy's document is huge because it includes a lot of modeling tips based on his experience. As the software remains in English, I have integrated many (partial) screenshots into the translation. I'm writing tutorials (in French) that don't follow Roy's pedagogical progression. I do this mainly for me in order to make progress in my learning a reality. I registered on /g/eznec This group does not work. There is almost no trading (interchange ?) on it (September 3/September 15). I asked a question there on September 23 but did not get a satisfactory answer. - Do you use EZNEC? - Do you know of a newsgroup that would work as well as nanovna-users but deal with EZNEC? -- F1AMM (Fran?ois) |
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Hi Francois
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I worked with Roy at Tektronix 25 years ago and have been using ELNEC then EZNEC for 28 years. Good to see there is a EZNEC group, I wondered about that since Roy is 100% out of the software game. Yes, have downloaded the Pro version he has made open software, and yes, that is quite a manual. I understand the low activity.? Really serious antenna designers have moved on to HFSS and CST type programs. Kent WA5VJB On Friday, October 14, 2022 at 12:13:42 AM CDT, F1AMM <18471@...> wrote:
Hello I carefully follow the exchanges on /g/nanovna-users I see that many are also tinkering with the antennas. I'm taking my first steps with EZNEC. I translated Roy W. Lewallen's documentation into French by redoing the exercises he prescribed. Roy's document is huge because it includes a lot of modeling tips based on his experience. As the software remains in English, I have integrated many (partial) screenshots into the translation. I'm writing tutorials (in French) that don't follow Roy's pedagogical progression. I do this mainly for me in order to make progress in my learning a reality. I registered on /g/eznec This group does not work. There is almost no trading (interchange ?) on it (September 3/September 15). I asked a question there on September 23 but did not get a satisfactory answer. - Do you use EZNEC? - Do you know of a newsgroup that would work as well as nanovna-users but deal with EZNEC? -- F1AMM (Fran?ois) |
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F1AMM
Thank you for your reply. I understand the situation better and I was right to ask the question here.
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I guess HFSS and CTS are unaffordable on QSJ side by amateurs. It's funny to see that a hobbyist now has a VNA that cost a fortune 50 years ago and to see this transfer of wealth to the software. Question : For an amateur, the solution is good, at best, with EZNEC or are there other solutions (free). -- Fran?ois -----Message d'origine-----De la part de KENT BRITAIN 14 octobre 2022 07:25 |
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As an alternative, you might take a look at 4nec2.
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There is some information about the 4nec2 application and the classes our Rochester NY Amateur Radio Service club is running for Antenna Modeling just 4nec2 on our website, rochesterham.org. The instructor said he is familiar with EZNEC as well. 73 Joe AD2DB On Fri, Oct 14, 2022, 1:52 AM F1AMM <18471@...> wrote:
Thank you for your reply. I understand the situation better and I was |
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There is also a 4NEC2 group which is slightly (but not mgch) more active than the EZNEC group.
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The ham-antennas group often discusses antenna modeling using EZNEC and/or 4NEC2, among others. There is more discussion about those simulators on that group than either of the NEC groups. DaveD On Oct 14, 2022, at 01:13, F1AMM <18471@...> wrote: |
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F1AMM
4nec2 is much less efficient than EZNEC. EZNEC offers, in particular, a very good antenna geometry editor. EZNEC "opens" .NEC files but unfortunately they are only rarely compatible because 4nec2 authorizes variables in GW cards (lines) which EZNEC does not support.
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Now that EZNEC is "free", we must abandon 4nec2 as we abandoned MMANA-GAL Basic for 4nec2. -- F1AMM Fran?ois -----Message d'origine-----De la part de Joseph DiVincenzo 14 octobre 2022 11:05 |
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F1AMM
The ham-antennas group often discusses antenna modeling using EZNEC and/or 4NEC2,Thanks a lot. I just subscribed to this group and will read the posts. This is probably a solution to my communication difficulties. I'll be sure to keep you posted. -- F1AMM Fran?ois -----Message d'origine-----De la part de Dave Daniel 14 octobre 2022 11:15 |
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That is a superficial comparison of the two simulators. Now that you are a member of the ham-antennas group, you should find and read the posts in that group from W0LEV comparing the two simulators.
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The bottom line is that 4NEC2 will give ¡°better¡± results, but is much more difficult to learn. Caveat: I¡¯ve been using Roy¡¯s EZNEC for decades but have never used 4NEC2 (I have downloaded it and plan to start learning it at some point in the future when I am ready to erect antennas on my new property). I know Dave Eckhardt, W0LEV, pretty well, having worked in the same location as he did at StorageTek in CO and having had many personal conversations with him over the years about antennas and propagation. One should read his posts carefully. He is very knowledgeable about antennas and antenna modeling. DaveD On Oct 14, 2022, at 05:25, F1AMM <18471@...> wrote: |
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F1AMM
That is a superficial comparison of the two simulators. Now that you are a member of theThanks for your advice. I had started using 4nec2. I switched to EZNEC because there was a notice that I translated into French. The version of 4nec2 that I have is 5.9.3 Is this the correct one? I have the documentation NEC-2 Manual, Part III: User's Guide (nec2.doc) It is marked WDBN 0.92 Is there any other documentation besides 4nec2.chm? I will watch 4nec2 again. At the time I thought I was going crazy with the cards but I got used to it. 73 -- F1AMM Fran?ois -----Message d'origine-----De la part de Dave Daniel vendredi 14 octobre 2022 12:26 |
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As I wrote earlier, I haved used EZNEC but not (yet) 4NEC2, so I can¡¯t advise you about versions and documentation for 4NEC2. For that information, I would go to the 4NEC2 group.
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DaveD On Oct 14, 2022, at 08:17, F1AMM <18471@...> wrote: |
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Sidenote.. I still prefer mmana
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Easy graphical editor Lots of functions Free Dg9bfc sigi Am 14.10.2022 14:36 schrieb Dave Daniel <kc0wjn@...>:
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F1AMM
For that information, I would go to the 4NEC2 group.** It begins badly 4NEC2 displays This Group Cannot Add Any Members 4nec2defguide is open but 2 messages in 2022 and 1 message in 2021 Your advice please Sidenote.. I still prefer mmana** MMna, I gave. It does not know how to calculate an impedance on a real ground. MMna assumes a conductive ground. -- F1AMM Fran?ois -----Message d'origine-----De la part de Dave Daniel et de Siegfried Jackstien 14 octobre 2022 14:37 |
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If has probably reached the membership limit for the group type. The only thing I can think of is to retry joining every so often in case someone drops out of the group.
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DaveD On Oct 14, 2022, at 08:57, F1AMM <18471@...> wrote: |
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That's unfortunate. I am a subscribed member, and the general info page for this group indicates:
"[email protected] (disabled because this group cannot add any more members)" and there's only 113 members... va3rr |
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On 10/14/22 2:25 AM, F1AMM wrote:
4nec2 is much less efficient than EZNEC. EZNEC offers, in particular, a very good antenna geometry editor. EZNEC "opens" .NEC files but unfortunately they are only rarely compatible because 4nec2 authorizes variables in GW cards (lines) which EZNEC does not support.I prefer 4nec2's interface and it works well with other engines (e.g. NEC4.2) It's probably more of a personal preference thing. |
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Yes, although 113 members is over the 100 member limit for a basic group.
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On Oct 14, 2022, at 09:14, va3rr via groups.io <va3rr@...> wrote: |
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How do the results of the two compare?
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Zack W9SZ On Fri, Oct 14, 2022 at 8:44 AM Jim Lux <jimlux@...> wrote:
On 10/14/22 2:25 AM, F1AMM wrote:4nec2 is much less efficient than EZNEC. EZNEC offers, in particular, avery good antenna geometry editor. EZNEC "opens" .NEC files but |
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On 10/14/22 7:44 AM, Zack Widup wrote:
How do the results of the two compare?They're basically the same NEC engine underneath - So if you have EZNEC or 4nec2, you have a UI that builds a model and hands it off to the NEC2 engine, which does the computation, then the program displays the results (graphically) Both have useful features to do things like tapers and insulated members, often by turning one model element YOU enter into multiple elements in the model passed to NEC, or by changing some parameter in a model element. For example 4nec2 has had a "current source" since the beginning, but NEC2 doesn't. 4nec2 simulates that by using a NT (network) card to turn a current source into a voltage source (which NEC2 does support). And both can use the NEC4 engine, which has better modeling, and some additional features. The real issue with NEC isn't the performance (these days, it's blindingly fast on almost any PC) it's that it describes the structure and analysis in terms of various card types (yes, originally punched cards), and keeping track of endpoints, matching segment lengths in parallel conductors, etc. by hand is a pain. These days, most of my model building is done with python to generate NEC input decks and to process the output, but I use 4nec2 for quick visualizations. Zack W9SZ |
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I've never really progressed past creating an input deck using the text editor and viewing the results in the geometry screen. One of the members at digitalhome.ca wrote a python optimization script for HDTV antennas that would produce some excellent optimizations if you let the program chug on long enough.
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On Fri, Oct 14, 2022 at 10:55 AM, Jim Lux wrote:
and keeping track of endpoints, matching segment lengths in |
va3rr
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