On 6/7/23 5:19 AM, DougVL wrote:

You will also need adapters for connecting the NanoVNA's SMA connectors to your antenna cables. Don't forget to get the proper 'gender' of connector adapters! You would probably want an SMA male to PL259 adapter, and an SMA male to SO239 adapter, and so on. Possibly for BNC connectors, too. There are nice 'assortment' kits of adapters, with a conveniently divided case to hold them. Check the possibilities on Amazon.

A recommendation - you can get SMA-N or SMA-UHF adapters - but wrestling a stiff 1/2" coax like RG-213 or LMR-400 and directly connecting to your relatively tiny NanoVNA is asking to have the SMAs snap off the board. Especially if you're making 2 port measurements.

I use 6-12" jumpers with SMA plug on one end and SO-239 (or PL-259) on the other end. For HF, the 6" makes very little difference, and for VHF/UHF, you can figure out how to calibrate it out.

But that flexible connection has saved the NanoVNA more than once.

You might also want an adapter to connect directly to antenna wire, with binding posts.

I use SMA-BNC, then BNC-binding post adapter (mostly because I happen to have those already)

It's quite disappointing to receive your great new analyzer and then be unable to use it because you can't connect it to anything!
[Don't ask how I know that.]
If you DO get a nanovna, there are many web sites and especially many youtube videos to help you learn to use it. The nanovna does NOT come with an instruction manual.