tinySA

Re: Determining antenna factor

davepm@... (VK3DPM Dave) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 23:08:42 -0700

Hi Charlie,

Can I assume G is dBi not dBd

Cheers Dave

Re: Wideband antenna

tracey.gardner@... (Tracey Gardner G5VU) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 15:05:36 -0700

Hello Dave

I'd be interested to know more about your disc dipole experiment, size and materials etc?

A Google search brought up nothing.

73s Tracey G5VU

Re: Wideband antenna

davearea51a@... (W0LEV) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 14:29:07 -0700

A better option to the discone is the bicone. Sure, it's larger, but behaves a bit more like the LP over frequency, but without the directionality. For his purpose, the discone may serve as the best choice. I can't imagine what the Schwartzbeck costs. It's a professional antenna widely used in EMC measurements for radiated emissions.

If he really wants bandwidth, build a disc dipole. I recently built an ugly version. It measured well at or (mostly) under 2:1 from 135 MHz through 3 GHz and the pattern is dipolish. Off hand I am not aware of anyone marketing such an antenna. Someone should!

Dave - WØLEV

Re: Wideband antenna

standye@... (Stan Dye) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 14:01:28 -0700

On Wed, Apr 9, 2025 at 01:09 PM, W0LEV wrote:

The Schwartzbeck log periodic is by far the better antenna.

I agree 100%, Dave.

At least if directionality is the goal.

Since the OP originally posted a vertical antenna, I presumed he wanted omni-directionality with flat gain over a large bandwidth.

And if that is the case, the discone is a better choice than his vertical or the log periodic antenna.

Re: Determining antenna factor

davearea51a@... (W0LEV) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:58:23 -0700

I presume G is gain. Is that in dB or the numerical ratio before the 10log[ratio]?

Dave - WØLEV

Re: Wideband antenna

davearea51a@... (W0LEV) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:09:22 -0700

The Schwartzbeck log periodic is by far the better antenna. They offer a far flatter response response and are directional. Directionality allows one to do a better job of finding RF emission locations.

The gain plot for the "vertical" blob is over rated!!

Discones can typically cover a 10-to-1 bandwidth while staying on or within the 2 : 1 circle on the Smith chart but are not directional and do not offer constand polarization with frequency. Their only claim to fame is a 2 : 1 SWR over a 10-to-1 bandwidth. They operate about like a 1/4-wavelength for the frequency of coverage.

Again the Schwartzbeck is by far the best choice. I've used them professionally as do many accredited labs.

Dave - WØLEV

Re: Wideband antenna

standye@... (Stan Dye) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:50:24 -0700

In general, a log-periodic antenna will give flatter gain response over a wide frequency range than will a vertical antenna.

But the log-periodic antenna is more directional (in the direction of the 'arrow' of smaller radiators), so its forward gain will be different from signals off the side or back.

You should also consider a discone design, which is more omni-directional, but more even gain across the bandwidth.

Re: Wideband antenna

mihai@... (Mihai) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:37:51 -0700

I am asking first about the PCTEL OP451 antenna, but also in comparison with, say, a Schwarzbeck USLP 9143 Log Antenna (http://schwarzbeck.de/Datenblatt/K9143B.pdf)

As I need the antenna as a mobile probe, which one/type is better to cover monitoring 900 MHz - 6/7 GHz spectrum with TinySA?

Re: Determining antenna factor

mihai@... (Mihai) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:24:27 -0700

Close...

https://www.everythingrf.com/rf-calculators/antenna-factor-calculator

Wideband antenna

mihai@... (Mihai) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:24:21 -0700

Anybody used PCTEL OP451 (450 MHz �� 6 GHz, VSWR <2.0:1, 50 Ohm) wideband antenna with TinySA Ultra?

It is a good match? Anybody had any experience with this one or a similar antenna? Pros and cons?

Should I be worried about cable length?

Specs seems to indicate that gain values include cable and connector losses.

And reading the messages in group, I MUST use TRACE/CALC/TABLE TRACE and create a trace containing a 8 point linear interpolation of the AF versus frequency from the antenna gain graph?

Is it ok to "approximate" the graph points to only 8 points in the TABLE TRACE?

Thank you!

Re: tinySA Ultra - signal generator specs

groups.io@... (Ron na2o) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 00:35:57 -0700

Well that wasn’t very smart! Yes, I’ve found the correct page now - thanks.

Re: tinySA Ultra - signal generator specs

erik@... (Erik Kaashoek) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 22:26:44 -0700

You are reading the tinySA basic spec, try the tinySA Ultra spec

Designer of the tinySA
For more info go to https://tinysa.org/wiki

tinySA Ultra - signal generator specs

groups.io@... (Ron na2o) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 22:26:01 -0700

I'm trying to use the signal generator again, as I have many times. But I'm looking for a bit more power than before. I see that it is specified (at https://tinysa.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.Specification) as -6 dBm in the "low" mode and +9 dBm in the "high" mode. Yet the most I can get out of it is -17.9 dBm. I must be missing something - what did I do? This is the ZS405 version, I think.

Ron

Re: ZS-405-Updates

erik@... (Erik Kaashoek) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 12:14:29 -0700

Did you read the change log?

Designer of the tinySA
For more info go to https://tinysa.org/wiki

Re: ZS-405-Updates

andreylopatkin34@... (R4ABT) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 11:09:02 -0700

I'll ask the question in a different way. There are versions in the tiny SA Ultra line (ZS-405, ZS-406, ZS-407) that probably differ in hardware. The latest versions of the software are mainly focused on the ZS-406,ZS-407 and are designed for this hardware (I may be mistaken). And now, if you use the latest software versions in the ZS-405, will this update have an improvement in performance? That's the question I'm interested in.I would like to hear the answer to my question from the creator of these devices.

Re: QUESTION on VERSION

erik@... (Erik Kaashoek) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 03:18:53 -0700

That's only with the FW release after the introduction of the Ultra+

If you run older FW there is no indication. Just tinySA Ultra, which means ZS405

Designer of the tinySA
For more info go to https://tinysa.org/wiki

Re: QUESTION on VERSION

josephlevy@... (josephlevy) — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 22:32:29 -0700

in config, version, it is on the first line.....

Re: TinySA Ultra operating temperature

erik@... (Erik Kaashoek) — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 21:53:14 -0700

These limits have indeed not been tested.

Designer of the tinySA
For more info go to https://tinysa.org/wiki

Re: ZS-405-Updates

davepm@... (VK3DPM Dave) — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 21:41:06 -0700

I agree with what has been said, done numerous updates no probs. Always do a self test prior to an upgrade, else if you have damaged the unit, you may think it was due to the upgrade

Re: QUESTION on VERSION

gerd.vipre@... (Gerd) — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 18:20:01 -0700

Hi.

If you connect the tinySA Ultra computer to the tinySA APP program, you will see this information in the log window.