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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2024
Trying to get back into Amateur Radio and needed to put up an antenna. Decided to roll my own dipole with some Amazon parts and then it dawned on me: how will I know the antenna is tuned correctly?After realizing that my old cheapo SWR meters weren't going to cut it, I stumbled into this device. I had some apprehension based on the reviews, etc., but ultimately decided to try it out.First off, for the money I think this is a fantastic device. After watching a video how to setup the frequencies and calibrate it, I very quickly figured out how to see the features I want (i.e. SWR). You can see in the picture I attached the plot of my dipole for 40m. My initial dipole cut of 33' 6" was too long and would have resulted in a 2.x SWR at my target frequency. Shortening the dipole I got under 1.1 according to this device. I used this device quite a bit during the antenna build to verify feed lines and balun with a dummy load. To me this was money well spent. I bought it Friday, watched some YouTube videos that night, and was using it on Saturday to build the antenna.Why this device gets a bad rap is primarily due to it trying to do too much IMO. There is so much information crammed into such a small screen it can be intimidating. The touchscreen can be finicky, and the menu system is not as intuitive as I would like. I haven't looked at Smith charts since studying for the Extra exam, I had to give myself a little refresher even though I really didn't need them.My advice is to pick the frequency range that your most interested in (i.e. 5Mhz to 10Mhz), do the calibration, and save it off. Recall it every time you turn on the device. Calibrate often after this: I have seen this device drift over the course of a day. You will need to buy an additional set of adapters to do work with PL259 type connectors. Use the little screen cursors as you see in my picture to highlight the screen features: it will show you SWR and impedance at that frequency.
Jason B.
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2024
Works awesome! Can do sooooo much, it's crazy. A little complicated. But works. Definite recommend.
Client d'
Reviewed in Canada on July 25, 2020
Parfait, j'aime bien
Wingo
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2020
When used in conjunction with the open source host application (Windows, OS-X and Linux) this vector network analyzer quickly produces S11 and S21 results. I measured a number of antennas made in China producing a set of S11 plots, quickly determining which manufactures met their specifications. Next I measured a bandpass filter producing a S21 and group delay plots proving the filter was of excellent quality.While I can't attest to the quality of the supplied SMA cables, the VNA and calibration kit appears to be very good. My guess is buying better SMA cables is prudent though for some applications it's possible to calibrate out issues.I printed a 3D enclosure for the VNA which required a slight modification to accommodate the shields used on this version of the VNA. Note the RF shields are a welcome addition by the manufacture. Overall the VNA in its 3D printed case makes for a nice tool which yields results for both a hobbyist, as well as casual professional user.
Smokerider
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2020
I opened the nanovna box, set the start and end frequencies for my freshly installed 20 meter vertical. Did the calibration, plugged in the antenna, found the resonant frequency, and had the antenna tuned in 15 minutes using the nanovna. I dont even need to use my radio's built-in transmatch. I'm well pleased with this device. It did not come with instructions but I had watched several tutorials on youtube. 10 minutes of learning is all you need. :) The text on the screen is small so old people (like me) may have a problem. I believe you can use it with your computer if you download the software. That will help the readability issue. A stylus is helpful, but you can poke the screen with your finger also. I used ball point pen with the point retracted...worked fine.If you're an old ham who struggled with an SWR meter through the years , and like me didnt feel like spending $350 for an antenna analyzer, this is a great deal.This particular item came with everything in the picture as well as a plastic case to hold all the accessories and a usb cable. I bought the recommended plumbing which included an SMA to SO-239 connector, which was perfect for testing my antenna.73
R.X.D.
Reviewed in Canada on May 7, 2020
Subject says it all - I did not even charge/plug in/attempt to use, as soon as I took it out of the package I put it back in and requested a refund/replacement. Screen looks like it has seen a few years of use already.
David
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2020
I've used this VNA for building a 2-meter J-pole and having a graphic plot of the response in various formats is invaluable. I was able to optimize my antenna to a very high degree. I wanted the antenna to be resonant at 146MHz, and with this tool, I managed to get it right on the money. SWR at that frequency is 1:1.08. There is no way I could have achieved those results without this tool. I am super impressed, and very happy with this purchase.UPDATE (5-16-20): So I have used this VNA to check all sorts of antennas, and it has provided a wealth of information I would not otherwise have.1. Our outdoor TV antenna broke, so I built one touted to be the "best DIY TV antenna ever made." My VNA shows that the antenna is sharply resonant around 520 MHz. I didn't change the plans, I just followed the video, but it was still nice to know where the antenna operates and its SWR. And by the way, it IS the best TV antenna I've ever used.2. I checked my VHF/UHF magnetic mount antenna for my car. It was resonant a little lower than I liked, so I did a little trimming and got it right where I wanted it. I used to have trouble hitting a particular repeater from my driveway. Not anymore!3. I built a quarter-wave 70-centimeter antenna. With the VNA I could watch the antenna's impedance change as I adjusted the angle of the ground plane radials. That was really nice!4. I checked all my rubber duckies. A couple of them were so far off I just threw them in the trash.As a ham, this VNA is probably the best purchase I've made in a long time. All my antennas work way better than I could have achieved without a VNA. I'll never be without one again.
Jovan Hamovic
Reviewed in Canada on October 19, 2020
I have purchased this little gizmo and it arrived quickly, but with a duplicate short load and without an open load. After a quick exchange of emails a new set of loads was promptly sent. Excellent service.As for the device itself, it is really a little gem. Surprisingly accurate, as long as you do not expect professional quality. It has a permanent place in my tool box. I would definitely recommend.
MRO
Reviewed in Canada on October 10, 2020
Seems to work as expected.
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