The Amazon VNAs...

[bitrex]

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range. Thankee

<https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/>

 

[Jan Panteltje]

On a sunny day (Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500) it happened bitrex
<user@example.net> wrote in <_9DAH.19727$I2P.2417@fx35.iad>:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range. Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/
129 $

I was considering buying one a while backfor my QO100 upload
that is how I found Amazon is selling Aliexpress stuff with a margin:
https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005001267696890.html
59 Euro

Maybe later...

 

[legg]

On Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range. Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/

nanovna-users@groups.io

RL

 

[legg]

On Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range. Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/

https://groups.io/g/nanovna-users/topics

RL

 

[bitrex]

On 12/11/2020 2:38 AM, Jan Panteltje wrote:

On a sunny day (Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500) it happened bitrex
user@example.net> wrote in <_9DAH.19727$I2P.2417@fx35.iad>:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range. Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/
129 $

I was considering buying one a while backfor my QO100 upload
that is how I found Amazon is selling Aliexpress stuff with a margin:
https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005001267696890.html
59 Euro

Maybe later...

Yeah looks to be, but I don\'t mind paying extra ATM to get it in a
couple days as opposed to someday, over the rainbow....we\'ll find it,
the rainbow connection...ah wait those are different songs...

 

[Cursitor Doom]

On Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range. Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/

Lab grade instruments they certainly ain\'t. However, the obvious ideal
use for them is as cheap tools for students of electronic engineering
to learn all about S-parameters and the Smith Chart. For that much at
least, they\'re unbeatable.

 

[bitrex]

On 12/11/2020 8:17 PM, Cursitor Doom wrote:

On Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range. Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/

Lab grade instruments they certainly ain\'t. However, the obvious ideal
use for them is as cheap tools for students of electronic engineering
to learn all about S-parameters and the Smith Chart. For that much at
least, they\'re unbeatable.

Yeah something like the hp 4191 and 4192 are on my wish list but $8000
isn\'t in my budget at the moment. 70db dynamic range in the low MHz is
probably good enough for what I gotta do.

They all seem to be clones of the same device and the price differences
is just with respect to accessories, screen size, enclosure, and the
general crappy-ness or not of the knockoff.

 

[bitrex]

On 12/12/2020 12:39 AM, bitrex wrote:

On 12/11/2020 8:17 PM, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range.
Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/


Lab grade instruments they certainly ain\'t. However, the obvious ideal
use for them is as cheap tools for students of electronic engineering
to learn all about S-parameters and the Smith Chart. For that much at
least, they\'re unbeatable.


Yeah something like the hp 4191 and 4192 are on my wish list but $8000
isn\'t in my budget at the moment. 70db dynamic range in the low MHz is
probably good enough for what I gotta do.

They all seem to be clones of the same device and the price differences
is just with respect to accessories, screen size, enclosure, and the
general crappy-ness or not of the knockoff.

At these prices probably worth paying a bit more for an aluminum housing
and larger screen:

<https://www.amazon.com/NanoVNA-F-Analyzer-Smith%E3%80%90Upgraded%E3%80%91-10KHz-1-5GHz-Shortwave/dp/B081P5GQN4/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=vna&qid=1607751651&sr=8-7>

 

[Cursitor Doom]

On Sat, 12 Dec 2020 00:39:32 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

On 12/11/2020 8:17 PM, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range. Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/

Lab grade instruments they certainly ain\'t. However, the obvious ideal
use for them is as cheap tools for students of electronic engineering
to learn all about S-parameters and the Smith Chart. For that much at
least, they\'re unbeatable.


Yeah something like the hp 4191 and 4192 are on my wish list but $8000
isn\'t in my budget at the moment. 70db dynamic range in the low MHz is
probably good enough for what I gotta do.

I got an HP 8753 series VNA with the S parameter test set for just
USD1700. That series enjoys quite a following among pros and serious
amateurs alike so there\'s plenty of advice and support on the io group
forum for them. I think they\'re extendable up to 6Ghz but I won\'t be
needing that as a mere hobbyist.

They all seem to be clones of the same device and the price differences
is just with respect to accessories, screen size, enclosure, and the
general crappy-ness or not of the knockoff.

Nicely put! True though.

 

[Brent Locher]

On Saturday, December 12, 2020 at 12:01:23 PM UTC-5, Cursitor Doom wrote:

On Sat, 12 Dec 2020 00:39:32 -0500, bitrex <us...@example.net> wrote:

On 12/11/2020 8:17 PM, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500, bitrex <us...@example.net> wrote:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range. Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/

Lab grade instruments they certainly ain\'t. However, the obvious ideal
use for them is as cheap tools for students of electronic engineering
to learn all about S-parameters and the Smith Chart. For that much at
least, they\'re unbeatable.


Yeah something like the hp 4191 and 4192 are on my wish list but $8000
isn\'t in my budget at the moment. 70db dynamic range in the low MHz is
probably good enough for what I gotta do.
I got an HP 8753 series VNA with the S parameter test set for just
USD1700. That series enjoys quite a following among pros and serious
amateurs alike so there\'s plenty of advice and support on the io group
forum for them. I think they\'re extendable up to 6Ghz but I won\'t be
needing that as a mere hobbyist.

Did you get a screen update for this? I have one (thru work) and the screen is very dim, and I think you can get a new screen for about 500$.

They all seem to be clones of the same device and the price differences
is just with respect to accessories, screen size, enclosure, and the
general crappy-ness or not of the knockoff.
Nicely put! True though.

 

[Jan Panteltje]

On a sunny day (Fri, 11 Dec 2020 11:32:28 -0500) it happened bitrex
<user@example.net> wrote in <vaNAH.23434$hz6.6146@fx39.iad>:

On 12/11/2020 2:38 AM, Jan Panteltje wrote:
On a sunny day (Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500) it happened bitrex
user@example.net> wrote in <_9DAH.19727$I2P.2417@fx35.iad>:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range. Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/
129 $

I was considering buying one a while backfor my QO100 upload
that is how I found Amazon is selling Aliexpress stuff with a margin:
https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005001267696890.html
59 Euro

Maybe later...



Yeah looks to be, but I don\'t mind paying extra ATM to get it in a
couple days as opposed to someday, over the rainbow....we\'ll find it,
the rainbow connection...ah wait those are different songs...

I have bought only a few things from Aliexpress,
but things arrived really fast here.
It looks like for some stuff they have warebouses within the EU.

 

[Cursitor Doom]

On Sat, 12 Dec 2020 09:10:26 -0800 (PST), Brent Locher
<blocher@columbus.rr.com> wrote:

Did you get a screen update for this? I have one (thru work) and the screen is very dim, and I think you can get a new screen for about 500

No, I haven\'t bothered yet. I did post a link here a couple of years
ago for anyone else that might be interested, though. But no one
followed up on it.
When the display gets dim and you can\'t correct for it sufficiently in
the settings of the soft menus, there\'s a pot on the transformer you
can turn up that will buy you another five years of use. After that,
it may be time to consider the colour LCD upgrade.

 

[bitrex]

On 12/12/2020 12:01 PM, Cursitor Doom wrote:

On Sat, 12 Dec 2020 00:39:32 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

On 12/11/2020 8:17 PM, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range. Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/

Lab grade instruments they certainly ain\'t. However, the obvious ideal
use for them is as cheap tools for students of electronic engineering
to learn all about S-parameters and the Smith Chart. For that much at
least, they\'re unbeatable.


Yeah something like the hp 4191 and 4192 are on my wish list but $8000
isn\'t in my budget at the moment. 70db dynamic range in the low MHz is
probably good enough for what I gotta do.

I got an HP 8753 series VNA with the S parameter test set for just
USD1700. That series enjoys quite a following among pros and serious
amateurs alike so there\'s plenty of advice and support on the io group
forum for them. I think they\'re extendable up to 6Ghz but I won\'t be
needing that as a mere hobbyist.

They all seem to be clones of the same device and the price differences
is just with respect to accessories, screen size, enclosure, and the
general crappy-ness or not of the knockoff.

Nicely put! True though.

I\'d like both a LF and HF analyzer but I might move on a 3577 as an
interim solution, it does 5 Hz to 200 MHz, there look to be a couple for
sale within 100 miles for me with the test set included for about 1k,
and don\'t have to ship the anchor.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuctX24iAK8>

You can find the 8753 used for about $1500 here but don\'t generally
include the test jig/probes/calibration modules for that price and those
seem to run about as much as the box for a set (though I\'ve read you can
DIY some bits to calibrate it.) A full setup that\'s been calibrated by a
reputable used dealer with some kind of warranty seems to run about 5k
for the 8753.

 

[Cursitor Doom]

On Sat, 12 Dec 2020 19:57:57 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

You can find the 8753 used for about $1500 here but don\'t generally
include the test jig/probes/calibration modules for that price and those
seem to run about as much as the box for a set (though I\'ve read you can
DIY some bits to calibrate it.) A full setup that\'s been calibrated by a
reputable used dealer with some kind of warranty seems to run about 5k
for the 8753.

You won\'t get a calibration set of standards included for that price.
And the whole damn thing is useless without the S param set to go with
it. Pro quality don\'t come cheap - unless you take your chances with
the Chinese and hope for the best. They are coming on in leaps and
bounds nowadays so you may get lucky.

 

[bitrex]

On 12/12/2020 8:08 PM, Cursitor Doom wrote:

On Sat, 12 Dec 2020 19:57:57 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

You can find the 8753 used for about $1500 here but don\'t generally
include the test jig/probes/calibration modules for that price and those
seem to run about as much as the box for a set (though I\'ve read you can
DIY some bits to calibrate it.) A full setup that\'s been calibrated by a
reputable used dealer with some kind of warranty seems to run about 5k
for the 8753.

You won\'t get a calibration set of standards included for that price.
And the whole damn thing is useless without the S param set to go with
it. Pro quality don\'t come cheap - unless you take your chances with
the Chinese and hope for the best. They are coming on in leaps and
bounds nowadays so you may get lucky.

The improvement in dynamic range is large even in a 30 year old boat
anchor using 30 year old ADCs and DSP as compared to the $150 box from
2020, at LF it\'s 70dB vs 120dB for a box like the 8753.

The HP machines are using some (probably proprietary) error-reduction
schemes which is what you\'re really paying for; putting a good-quality
signal generator, ADC, DSP and display in box isn\'t expensive anymore
the way it was in 1989.

 

[Gerhard Hoffmann]

Am 13.12.20 um 02:08 schrieb Cursitor Doom:

On Sat, 12 Dec 2020 19:57:57 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

You can find the 8753 used for about $1500 here but don\'t generally
include the test jig/probes/calibration modules for that price and those
seem to run about as much as the box for a set (though I\'ve read you can
DIY some bits to calibrate it.) A full setup that\'s been calibrated by a
reputable used dealer with some kind of warranty seems to run about 5k
for the 8753.

You won\'t get a calibration set of standards included for that price.
And the whole damn thing is useless without the S param set to go with
it. Pro quality don\'t come cheap - unless you take your chances with
the Chinese and hope for the best. They are coming on in leaps and
bounds nowadays so you may get lucky.

All network analyzers stand or fall with their cal standards.

I have a DG8SAQ VNWA that is quite good; it not so cheap like
the Chinese units but has 12-term error correction and such,
and cleanly characterized standards from Rosenberger, Suhner, Amphenol
and the likes. It is sold by SDR-Kits in England, there is a discussion
group for it on groups.io.

https://groups.io/g/VNWA
They talk a lot about calibration.

I also have an R&S ZVB-8 with a PC3.5 ECAL unit. That ECAL unit
is a great thing. It removes most of the the standards changing.

But I did not jump far enough, 8 GHz is not enough for me. :-(

Cheers, Gerhard

 

[Clifford Heath]

On 12/12/20 4:39 pm, bitrex wrote:

On 12/11/2020 8:17 PM, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:09:14 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

There are a number of this type of inexpensive VNAs on Amazon, anyone
used one? Is any particular one a favorite or preferable to the others?
Need to do some vector impedance measurements in the 10-30MHz range.
Thankee

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-Analyzer-50KHz-3GHz-Measuring-Parameters/dp/B08G4GXTKK/


Lab grade instruments they certainly ain\'t. However, the obvious ideal
use for them is as cheap tools for students of electronic engineering
to learn all about S-parameters and the Smith Chart. For that much at
least, they\'re unbeatable.

They all seem to be clones of the same device and the price differences
is just with respect to accessories, screen size, enclosure, and the
general crappy-ness or not of the knockoff.

The same *two* devices. The S-A-A-2 (sometimes called NanoVNAv2, but
unrelated to the NanoVNA) was under development when the original
NanoVNA was released, and the folk who had let the design contract (to
OwOComm) for S-A-A-2 decided that the market dynamics had changed enough
that they should release it as open source.

There are several manufacturers of each design, with different
connectors, screens and cases.

The two independent designs (and the one I was working on) share the
same basic approach:
* No filters (only the LPF of a audio-ish zero-IF receivers),
* Two independent generators (for stimulus and LO),
* Toggles between measuring the phase (&phase rate) between the two
generators and the DUT

This approach is very sensitive to any local RF received by the DUT.
I was using two DDS\'s for correlated sine-wave stimulus (and no
switches), whereas these use square-wave stimulus signals.

CH.

 

[Clifford Heath]

On 13/12/20 12:28 pm, bitrex wrote:

On 12/12/2020 8:08 PM, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Sat, 12 Dec 2020 19:57:57 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:

You can find the 8753 used for about $1500 here but don\'t generally
include the test jig/probes/calibration modules for that price and those
seem to run about as much as the box for a set (though I\'ve read you can
DIY some bits to calibrate it.) A full setup that\'s been calibrated by a
reputable used dealer with some kind of warranty seems to run about 5k
for the 8753.

You won\'t get a calibration set of standards included for that price.
And the whole damn thing is useless without the S param set to go with
it. Pro quality don\'t come cheap - unless you take your chances with
the Chinese and hope for the best. They are coming on in leaps and
bounds nowadays so you may get lucky.


The improvement in dynamic range is large even in a 30 year old boat
anchor using 30 year old ADCs and DSP as compared to the $150 box from
2020, at LF it\'s 70dB vs 120dB for a box like the 8753.

The HP machines are using some (probably proprietary) error-reduction
schemes which is what you\'re really paying for; putting a good-quality
signal generator, ADC, DSP and display in box isn\'t expensive anymore
the way it was in 1989.

And filters. Good receivers and filters still cost a bit. If you\'re only
testing linear devices that\'s less of a problem, but spurs and images
limit the performance of these cheapies.

CH

 

[Gerhard Hoffmann]

Am 13.12.20 um 02:51 schrieb Clifford Heath:

There are several manufacturers of each design, with different
connectors, screens and cases.

The two independent designs (and the one I was working on) share the
same basic approach:
* No filters (only the LPF of a audio-ish zero-IF receivers),
* Two independent generators (for stimulus and LO),
* Toggles between measuring the phase (&phase rate) between the two
generators and the DUT

This approach is very sensitive to any local RF received by the DUT.
I was using two DDS\'s for correlated sine-wave stimulus (and no
switches), whereas these use square-wave stimulus signals.

That\'s much like the DG8SAQ with the 2 DDS. The first versions still
could rely on a printer port and sound card. Quite a long history.

Now there is a TI multi-channel codec & internal USB hub.

Gerhard

 

[Clifford Heath]

On 13/12/20 1:05 pm, Gerhard Hoffmann wrote:

Am 13.12.20 um 02:51 schrieb Clifford Heath:

There are several manufacturers of each design, with different
connectors, screens and cases.

The two independent designs (and the one I was working on) share the
same basic approach:
* No filters (only the LPF of a audio-ish zero-IF receivers),
* Two independent generators (for stimulus and LO),
* Toggles between measuring the phase (&phase rate) between the two
generators and the DUT

This approach is very sensitive to any local RF received by the DUT.
I was using two DDS\'s for correlated sine-wave stimulus (and no
switches), whereas these use square-wave stimulus signals.

That\'s much like the DG8SAQ with the 2 DDS. The first versions still
could rely on a printer port and sound card. Quite a long history.

Yes, except Baier\'s VNA used DDS spurs a long way above the fundamental.
Quite a lot like using square waves, but using staircases instead.
Mine uses AD9959, which gives you 4 channels on a 500MHz master clock.

Clifford Heath.