tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post5412991307688389048..comments2024-03-28T08:06:43.198-04:00Comments on The Silicon Graybeard: A Ham Radio Series 4 - Antennas, Tuners, and Analyzers SiGraybeardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-71294372433396606262020-06-13T12:03:36.385-04:002020-06-13T12:03:36.385-04:00I have a nanoVNA. It does a fair job as an antenn...I have a nanoVNA. It does a fair job as an antenna analyzer. It really is quite a bit in such a small package. The price point is about right. I wish they weren't made in China (Hong Kong). So many of those like the ones in your article while good are outside my affordability window.BillBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17593147581583316765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-38678920675861850682020-06-13T10:42:16.282-04:002020-06-13T10:42:16.282-04:00I've been following those NanoVNAs and one may...I've been following those NanoVNAs and one may be in my future. A good friend and fellow engineer owns one. <br /><br />My main concern at this point is that there are multiple companies copying the basic design and quality seems to be all over the map. I don't know how to know which one to get. I subscribed to the groups.io NanoVNA group and still read it occasionally. <br />https://groups.io/g/nanovna-users<br /><br />This may be what's driving (what drove?) Array Solutions out of the antenna analyzer business. <br />SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-65849827573776468872020-06-13T10:05:54.321-04:002020-06-13T10:05:54.321-04:00I have a RigExpert, but I recently bought a NanoVN...I have a RigExpert, but I recently bought a NanoVNA. For the price, I like it more, and it's within reach of almost everyone.The Freeholderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09989697995675652792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-31692391483334352042020-06-13T09:46:00.770-04:002020-06-13T09:46:00.770-04:00Mine is the Array Solutions AIM4170. Their website...Mine is the Array Solutions AIM4170. Their website is a puzzle but they seem to be giving up on antenna analyzers. I think most people would say the drawback is that the 4170 has to be tied to a computer, but the software is pretty good. <br /><br />A while back, I used it for a slick fix. I had been using my 80/40 trapped vertical for 30m since I got it in '08. I have one of those radios that will do 3:1 SWR, but the software won't allow it to try anything above 3:1. I'm still looking at better antennas for 30, but for a stopgap, I came up with an L network to reduce it's SWR just so it was under 3:1. The idea was make it usable without compromising 80 and 40. <br /><br />Measured the impedance of the antenna, saved a file of impedance values, imported it into a Smith chart program and came up with an L network that makes the radio happy and allows its built in tuner to tune it flat. <br /><br />SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-17468480943461103212020-06-12T23:20:32.224-04:002020-06-12T23:20:32.224-04:00I have a Rig Expert AA-520, and I love it. Prior t...I have a Rig Expert AA-520, and I love it. Prior to buying it, I had the Big Dog MFJ unit, and one of the older AEA "Graphical VIA Analyzers" which I liked, but it had an extraordinarily clumsy PC interface program. The Rig Expert PC interface program, "AntScope2", is easy to use, and can store about every parameter you can imagine.<br /><br />It's made adjusting my antennas MUCH easier, and has even resulted in a major increase of my understanding of antennas, and how they interact with their surroundings.<br /><br />Old Saying from the Midwest: "If your antenna stayed up through the winter, it wasn't big enough!"....drjimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05647484115197408897noreply@blogger.com