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In the past few months QST has run a few articles bout VNA's and the authors have been enthusiastic about the devices.So I signed on to this .io group at the suggestion of the uthor, Phil Salas. As a member of number of .io groups, I knew this one would be of great help and ideas.
I am looking to replace an old MFJ-207 with the main control knob clicking in and out like a momentary switch. (I think it fell off the shelf and landed on the main control knob.) The antenna frq measurements seem to not make sense and it is not worth sending back to MFJ for repair.
The good news on VNA's arrived jus in time. I have been pouring over the beginners' guide along with many posts trying to find some hints on which unit to buy. One thing is for sure: I need the larger unit with the 4 inch screen, but other than that, I am at a loss as to which specific unit to buy. They all do really look alike and with similar features, and a number of makers: Moon, Seesii, Lacimot, and more.
So I am looking for some recommendations from the vast experience of this group, as to a good choice for an "average" ham with not a lot of big time gear, operating right now with just a Heathkit HW-8 and an FT-817ND as my old IC-740 just died..... I live in a antenna restricted community and have to run thin wires among some large trees, so I have to tend my sky wires carefully. Being able to check resonant frq and swr is important for me.
So any advice that y'all can provide will really help. Sorry to be long-winded......
72 de k1qed, bob.coleman
|
Hi Bob C.
I just bought a Nano Saa2N which has N connectors. It's built very solid in a metal case.
Work well on Windows 10 and older iMac OSX 10.10.5. A good $13-$18 Amazon connector kit
with N to -SO239, SMA, BNC various adapters is certainly helpful. I'm a retired Software Eng, with
lots of 24L01 and TI CC1101's boards and antenna. I too wanted the 4" display and up to
3Ghz why not. $69 from R&L Electronics in Ohio. Also found the $3 eBook from Father & Son
Schwarler helpful and ofcource Martins Documentation he wrote too.
*Sent:* Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at 7:06 PM
*From:* "Robert Coleman" <rcoleman@...>
*To:* nanovna-users@groups.io
*Subject:* [nanovna-users] Advice for a VNA Noob #newbie
In the past few months QST has run a few articles bout VNA's and the authors have been enthusiastic about the devices.So I signed on to this .io group at the suggestion of the uthor, Phil Salas. As a member of number of .io groups, I knew this one would be of great help and ideas.
I am looking to replace an old MFJ-207 with the main control knob clicking in and out like a momentary switch. (I think it fell off the shelf and landed on the main control knob.) The antenna frq measurements seem to not make sense and it is not worth sending back to MFJ for repair.
The good news on VNA's arrived jus in time. I have been pouring over the beginners' guide along with many posts trying to find some hints on which unit to buy. One thing is for sure: I need the larger unit with the 4 inch screen, but other than that, I am at a loss as to which specific unit to buy. They all do really look alike and with similar features, and a number of makers: Moon, Seesii, Lacimot, and more.
So I am looking for some recommendations from the vast experience of this group, as to a good choice for an "average" ham with not a lot of big time gear, operating right now with just a Heathkit HW-8 and an FT-817ND as my old IC-740 just died..... I live in a antenna restricted community and have to run thin wires among some large trees, so I have to tend my sky wires carefully. Being able to check resonant frq and swr is important for me.
So any advice that y'all can provide will really help. Sorry to be long-winded......
72 de k1qed, bob.coleman
|
Bob, Check out The Villages radio club in Florida. They have an excellent manual of antenna ideas for those living in a restricted subdivision: https://www.k4vrc.com/uploads/1/0/1/5/10156032/present-tvarc_antenna_guide.pdfI am not fortunate enough to live in The Villages and have to struggle with antennas on the deck of a condo in St Augustine with stucco walls in the winter. Dave K8WPE since 1960. David J. Wilcox’s iPad
On Nov 24, 2020, at 9:07 PM, Robert Coleman <rcoleman@...> wrote:
In the past few months QST has run a few articles bout VNA's and the authors have been enthusiastic about the devices.So I signed on to this .io group at the suggestion of the uthor, Phil Salas. As a member of number of .io groups, I knew this one would be of great help and ideas.
I am looking to replace an old MFJ-207 with the main control knob clicking in and out like a momentary switch. (I think it fell off the shelf and landed on the main control knob.) The antenna frq measurements seem to not make sense and it is not worth sending back to MFJ for repair.
The good news on VNA's arrived jus in time. I have been pouring over the beginners' guide along with many posts trying to find some hints on which unit to buy. One thing is for sure: I need the larger unit with the 4 inch screen, but other than that, I am at a loss as to which specific unit to buy. They all do really look alike and with similar features, and a number of makers: Moon, Seesii, Lacimot, and more.
So I am looking for some recommendations from the vast experience of this group, as to a good choice for an "average" ham with not a lot of big time gear, operating right now with just a Heathkit HW-8 and an FT-817ND as my old IC-740 just died..... I live in a antenna restricted community and have to run thin wires among some large trees, so I have to tend my sky wires carefully. Being able to check resonant frq and swr is important for me.
So any advice that y'all can provide will really help. Sorry to be long-winded......
72 de k1qed, bob.coleman
|
Bob C:
I hate to admit it, but I have them all. Over indulged I guess. Of them
all, the latest SAA-2N I believe is the best. While you likely don't have
a need for 3 GHz, it is well constructed and performs very well throughout
its frequency range. Next to that, the NANOVNA-H4 would be my choice.
Other than that, don't even consider looking. What ever you choose, be
sure to include the internal battery. Just my take.
I should also point out that they compare quite favorably with the HP 8753C
VNA which still costs 43.5 times as much on epay and 300+ times as much
when they were new from HP.
Dave - WØLEV
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Показати цитований текст
On Wed, Nov 25, 2020 at 4:42 AM Ed March <shop101@...> wrote: Hi Bob C.
I just bought a Nano Saa2N which has N connectors. It's built very solid
in a metal case.
Work well on Windows 10 and older iMac OSX 10.10.5. A good $13-$18 Amazon
connector kit
with N to -SO239, SMA, BNC various adapters is certainly helpful. I'm a
retired Software Eng, with
lots of 24L01 and TI CC1101's boards and antenna. I too wanted the 4"
display and up to
3Ghz why not. $69 from R&L Electronics in Ohio. Also found the $3 eBook
from Father & Son
Schwarler helpful and ofcource Martins Documentation he wrote too.
*Sent:* Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at 7:06 PM
*From:* "Robert Coleman" <rcoleman@...>
*To:* nanovna-users@groups.io
*Subject:* [nanovna-users] Advice for a VNA Noob #newbie
In the past few months QST has run a few articles bout VNA's and the
authors have been enthusiastic about the devices.So I signed on to this .io
group at the suggestion of the uthor, Phil Salas. As a member of number of
.io groups, I knew this one would be of great help and ideas.
I am looking to replace an old MFJ-207 with the main control knob clicking
in and out like a momentary switch. (I think it fell off the shelf and
landed on the main control knob.) The antenna frq measurements seem to not
make sense and it is not worth sending back to MFJ for repair.
The good news on VNA's arrived jus in time. I have been pouring over the
beginners' guide along with many posts trying to find some hints on which
unit to buy. One thing is for sure: I need the larger unit with the 4 inch
screen, but other than that, I am at a loss as to which specific unit to
buy. They all do really look alike and with similar features, and a number
of makers: Moon, Seesii, Lacimot, and more.
So I am looking for some recommendations from the vast experience of this
group, as to a good choice for an "average" ham with not a lot of big time
gear, operating right now with just a Heathkit HW-8 and an FT-817ND as my
old IC-740 just died..... I live in a antenna restricted community and have
to run thin wires among some large trees, so I have to tend my sky wires
carefully. Being able to check resonant frq and swr is important for me.
So any advice that y'all can provide will really help. Sorry to be
long-winded......
72 de k1qed, bob.coleman
--
*Dave - WØLEV*
*Just Let Darwin Work*
|
I have no experience with these at all but I just bought the V2 Plus4 at Tindie. Won't have it till xmas. It is double the cost of the others but has much better specs if you use them, or if you want to future proof as much as possible.
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I've been wondering if there is a reference someone outlining the
evolution of the NanoVNA, along with any noteworthy improvements or
regressions with each upgrade.
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Hey Dave, thanks for that pdf, lots of great ideas in the article. I'm quite familiar with FL's restrictions; they copied them from MA deed restricted communities, or maybe vice versa - not sure. I have a wooded town-owned property behind my house and the land slopes down to the Millers River, so i do got pretty good grounding conditions. The flagpole is very tempting, but the wires are certainly more economical. We have considered installing seamless gutters, with a longer section in the front (or back) to create yagi but it would be oriented nw to se but not sure about the directions for good contact... wire is still cheaper! I have one of Chebek's 88 foot doublet in the trees, but branch falls cause wire breaks, like right now. With half of one 44 foot section cut it's acting like an off set center dipole.
It's because of these broken antenna issues that a VNA will help.
Thanks for the article! 72 de k1qed, bob.c
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To the kind responders;
Thanks for the suggestions, there are plenty of these units there. I started at Amazon and see hundreds of listings, and was wondering about the ending letter ( N or H0). Does that indicate the frq range? And I would guess, if i didn't know better, that all units were made by one or two companies, as they all look alike! And I am looking at using Amazon, if only for the return policy.
Ed: you mention a unit with N-connectors - those seem huge for a small took, but signal quality is better than the so-239 types. one would certainly have to use adapter cables, as noted in the various descriptions.
Thanks to all for the quick replies. My search goes forward with new info!
72 de k1qed, bob.c
|
Rob
It seems to me that you are making a big deal out of the "optimum" test instrument.
All you want to do, it seems, is to have your HF (hidden) antennas work well.
Resonance is highly over rated, with a simple tuner somewhere, and a "long-wire".
From my experience, if you can put out 130 ft of (small diam) wire (80m) and end-feed it via either a unun or a high impedance LC circuit, that would work fine on most of the harmonics.
Any tuning could likely be done in your shack, especially on 80m.
I was given one of these Nano VNA (the H model with 4 inch screen) and was frustrated at first, until I downloaded the Nano VNA SAVER (Win10) software. Within a few days, I was up and running, testing everything in sight. Displaying graphs side by side, rather than superimposed, was a great help, especially for someone who is color-limited.
Just remember to do a decent CALIBRATION near the frequencies you are testing. The NanoVNA SAVER allows you to do thousands of calibration points, rather than the limited 101 built in.
Best wishes from one rookie to another,
Barry k3eui
|
On Thu, Nov 26, 2020 at 08:57 AM, Barry Feierman wrote: It seems to me that you are making a big deal out of the "optimum" test
instrument.
All you want to do, it seems, is to have your HF (hidden) antennas work well.
Barry k3eui Well said, Barry. 98% of all hams will be just fine with an H4 purchased from R&L. DiSlord releases new firmware for the nVNA-H4 on a regular basis, and the H4 works great with nVNASaver. When I was building antennas for AO-40, I would have loved to have a SAA-2n. I had to make do with a homebrew W1GHZ bridge...
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Hi Bob,
I bought an H4 and some 'supplies' like couplers to save wear on the SMA conectors in the VNA. I bought from Amazon for peace of mind. I paid more. I have no regrets. Now I have heard about R&L here in the USA (Ohio) and their price might a little less but still more than buying from 'offshore'. I can vouch for the Amazon route. Other list members say good things about R&L.
I have started buying some things from the offshore companies (sellers) especially if I think I can afford to just burn the money in a fire pit. Some of them are honest and will try to satisfy our expectations. So I am putting them on a 'probation' of sorts. That is so I can try to sort out the people I can trust. They are outside the jurisdiction of our legal system and too far away to confront face-to-face. Among other list members I find mixed results regarding the offshore folk.
Have a good holiday.
73,
Bill KU8H
bark less - wag more
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On 11/26/20 12:59 AM, Robert Coleman wrote: To the kind responders;
Thanks for the suggestions, there are plenty of these units there. I started at Amazon and see hundreds of listings, and was wondering about the ending letter ( N or H0). Does that indicate the frq range? And I would guess, if i didn't know better, that all units were made by one or two companies, as they all look alike! And I am looking at using Amazon, if only for the return policy.
Ed: you mention a unit with N-connectors - those seem huge for a small took, but signal quality is better than the so-239 types. one would certainly have to use adapter cables, as noted in the various descriptions.
Thanks to all for the quick replies. My search goes forward with new info!
72 de k1qed, bob.c
.
|
Wow I used to love amazon in Illinois tax free.
But after living in AZ the tax is too high.
I'll shop for hours to save tax now.
Plus it more fun, hey I'm retired !!
I never had any issues with Banggood
Or Alibaba other than 3-6 weeks shipping.
R&L and Giga parts have been great.
Hear some HRO issues, but the owner
Has recently retired.
--
Sent from my Android phone with GMX Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
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On 11/26/20, 08:56 Bill Cromwell <wrcromwell@...> wrote:
Hi Bob,
I bought an H4 and some 'supplies' like couplers to save wear on the
SMA conectors in the VNA. I bought from Amazon for peace of mind. I paid
more. I have no regrets. Now I have heard about R&L here in the USA
(Ohio) and their price might a little less but still more than buying
from 'offshore'. I can vouch for the Amazon route. Other list members
say good things about R&L.
I have started buying some things from the offshore companies (sellers)
especially if I think I can afford to just burn the money in a fire pit.
Some of them are honest and will try to satisfy our expectations. So I
am putting them on a 'probation' of sorts. That is so I can try to sort
out the people I can trust. They are outside the jurisdiction of our
legal system and too far away to confront face-to-face. Among other list
members I find mixed results regarding the offshore folk.
Have a good holiday.
73,
Bill KU8H
bark less - wag more
On 11/26/20 12:59 AM, Robert Coleman wrote:
To the kind responders;
Thanks for the suggestions, there are plenty of these units there. I started at Amazon and see hundreds of listings, and was wondering about
the ending letter ( N or H0). Does that indicate the frq range? And I
would guess, if i didn't know better, that all units were made by one or
two companies, as they all look alike! And I am looking at using Amazon,
if only for the return policy.
Ed: you mention a unit with N-connectors - those seem huge for a small took, but signal quality is better than the so-239 types. one would
certainly have to use adapter cables, as noted in the various
descriptions.
Thanks to all for the quick replies. My search goes forward with new
info!
72 de k1qed, bob.c
.
|
переключити цитоване повідомлення
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-----Original Message-----
From: nanovna-users@groups.io <nanovna-users@groups.io> On Behalf Of Barry Feierman
Sent: Thursday, November 26, 2020 6:58 AM
To: nanovna-users@groups.io
Subject: Re: [nanovna-users] Advice for a VNA Noob #newbie
Rob
It seems to me that you are making a big deal out of the "optimum" test instrument.
All you want to do, it seems, is to have your HF (hidden) antennas work well.
Resonance is highly over rated, with a simple tuner somewhere, and a "long-wire".
From my experience, if you can put out 130 ft of (small diam) wire (80m) and end-feed it via either a unun or a high impedance LC circuit, that would work fine on most of the harmonics.
Any tuning could likely be done in your shack, especially on 80m.
I was given one of these Nano VNA (the H model with 4 inch screen) and was frustrated at first, until I downloaded the Nano VNA SAVER (Win10) software. Within a few days, I was up and running, testing everything in sight. Displaying graphs side by side, rather than superimposed, was a great help, especially for someone who is color-limited.
Just remember to do a decent CALIBRATION near the frequencies you are testing. The NanoVNA SAVER allows you to do thousands of calibration points, rather than the limited 101 built in.
Best wishes from one rookie to another,
Barry k3eui
|
Hi Bob, I highly recommend a V 2.3 or V 2.4 (aka V2 Plus and V2 Plus4) Model, and I recommend that you only buy it from an "*Authorized Dealer < https://nanorfe.com/nanovna-v2.html>*." This will assure you that it has the best available specifications and is most easily upgradable. Find out more about it, and why I make this statement, on the *V2NanoVNA Group* < https://groups.io/g/NanoVNAV2>, which I recommend you join. That being said, I too am a NanoVNA GnuBee and being so, almost anyone in this fine group knows more about the subject than I, so take this FWIW. I know how you feel. In my case, I've been away from Ham Radio for over 15 years but in my working days I was trained on most of HP and Tektronix' high-end equipment, including VNAs and TDRs. I also used them in an ATE environment for a couple of years. I always wanted to own them for antenna design and analysis, etc, but didn't have the Big Bux to get them. Just last week I happened to notice a YouTube video by Alan, *W2AEW* < https://www.youtube.com/user/w2aew> and after watching it I immediately ordered a model SAA-2N NanoVNA. BTW, Alan is, IMHO, one of several leading experts on the subject and RF testing in general. And, if you start studying his videos you can't go very far astray. In *THIS < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GipCVEsiqXc>* video he recommended R&L Electronics as a source for the SAA-2N in a video. After he posted the video he Pinned the first comment to explain that it isn't necessarily the best choice. Please be sure to read that comment *and* its replies. R&L does have an excellent price on this model. And, it is a very good NVNA. BUT, R&L told me on the phone that it is made by the company that designed the V2 NVNA or words to that effect. That is *NOT* true. Their website states *"SAA-2N NanoVNA V2.2, 3GHz vector network analyzer, designed by OwOComm, under the LGPL license agreement, it is completely manufactured according to the v2_2 files issued by OwOComm at https://github.com/nanovna/S-A-ADevelopment Department, in line with the original technical specifications designed by OwOComm."* This I can not, and do not dispute. However, Mine is marked *"Made in China by Zeenko." *From what I've seen, Zeenko may legally manufacture OwOComm-designed V2.2 products based on the GPL he released. But, those units might never be upgradable to V 2.3 or V 2.4, improving dynamic range, total frequency response and sweep/speed points. Some have tried unsuccessfully but again, see the pinned comments on W2AEW's aforementioned video as well as comments on upgrading the SAA-2N on the V2NanoVNA Group. In conclusion, I much prefer the type N connectors over SMA so I'll most likely keep the SAA-2N. It is built very solid and the few tests I've run so far have proven it to be a solid, decent unit. But I'll eventually get a V 2.4 from an authorized dealer for the aforementioned reasons. 73, Don W5MML...🤠
On Tue, Nov 24, 2020 at 8:08 PM Robert Coleman <rcoleman@...> wrote: In the past few months QST has run a few articles bout VNA's and the
authors have been enthusiastic about the devices.So I signed on to this .io
group at the suggestion of the uthor, Phil Salas. As a member of number of
.io groups, I knew this one would be of great help and ideas.
I am looking to replace an old MFJ-207 with the main control knob
clicking in and out like a momentary switch. (I think it fell off the shelf
and landed on the main control knob.) The antenna frq measurements seem to
not make sense and it is not worth sending back to MFJ for repair.
The good news on VNA's arrived jus in time. I have been pouring over
the beginners' guide along with many posts trying to find some hints on
which unit to buy. One thing is for sure: I need the larger unit with the 4
inch screen, but other than that, I am at a loss as to which specific unit
to buy. They all do really look alike and with similar features, and a
number of makers: Moon, Seesii, Lacimot, and more.
So I am looking for some recommendations from the vast experience of
this group, as to a good choice for an "average" ham with not a lot of big
time gear, operating right now with just a Heathkit HW-8 and an FT-817ND as
my old IC-740 just died..... I live in a antenna restricted community and
have to run thin wires among some large trees, so I have to tend my sky
wires carefully. Being able to check resonant frq and swr is important for
me.
So any advice that y'all can provide will really help. Sorry to be
long-winded......
72 de k1qed, bob.coleman
|
FYI, I have been buying from AliExpress for years and have had little problems. Most have been shipping damage, a few none shipments, and a couple of defective products. Ali's dispute system works very well and I have been totally satisfied with the results. Working with most vendors has also been smooth. There have been a couple not so smooth, but everything got resolved with civil negotiations or when Ali stepped in.
I have also purchased from Tindie a NanoVNA V2 Plus4 which I just ordered this week and Banggood. Everything is good. I have had more problems with domestic vendors.
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Bill,
I have been ordering from R & L and off shore for years and have yet to get stung. I did order a battery kit for one of my Bose wifi speakers and it did take quite a while to receive it and a battery for my mini quadcopter that came long after I had forgotten about it and bought it somewhere else. But the stuff always came. Again, I agree with you, I wouldn’t buy high end expensive items from fleaBay or the magic carpet people on the other side of the earth but I have been happy with what I received for the low prices I paid for the item. Isn’t this a wonderful time to be alive?
Dave K8WPE and remembering using the US Mail and filling out order forms and having dad get a money order from the post office for my old HeathKit, Lafayette, or Allied Radio items. What a day that was.
David J. Wilcox’s iPad
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On Nov 26, 2020, at 10:56 AM, Bill Cromwell <wrcromwell@...> wrote:
Hi Bob,
I bought an H4 and some 'supplies' like couplers to save wear on the SMA conectors in the VNA. I bought from Amazon for peace of mind. I paid more. I have no regrets. Now I have heard about R&L here in the USA (Ohio) and their price might a little less but still more than buying from 'offshore'. I can vouch for the Amazon route. Other list members say good things about R&L.
I have started buying some things from the offshore companies (sellers) especially if I think I can afford to just burn the money in a fire pit. Some of them are honest and will try to satisfy our expectations. So I am putting them on a 'probation' of sorts. That is so I can try to sort out the people I can trust. They are outside the jurisdiction of our legal system and too far away to confront face-to-face. Among other list members I find mixed results regarding the offshore folk.
Have a good holiday.
73,
Bill KU8H
bark less - wag more
On 11/26/20 12:59 AM, Robert Coleman wrote:
To the kind responders;
Thanks for the suggestions, there are plenty of these units there. I started at Amazon and see hundreds of listings, and was wondering about the ending letter ( N or H0). Does that indicate the frq range? And I would guess, if i didn't know better, that all units were made by one or two companies, as they all look alike! And I am looking at using Amazon, if only for the return policy.
Ed: you mention a unit with N-connectors - those seem huge for a small took, but signal quality is better than the so-239 types. one would certainly have to use adapter cables, as noted in the various descriptions.
Thanks to all for the quick replies. My search goes forward with new info!
72 de k1qed, bob.c
.
|
Hi David,
The real test is their handling of 'trouble'. There are some companies that got us into a lot of trouble. One recent purchase was really bad and they paid to ship the item back and sent a new one at the same time. The second one failed (different problem). They really tried to get it right. They did refund my money. I gave them a good rating for their effort and for them making it right. I expect to do business with them again.
I just ordered an SDR receiver through Banggood. I would prefer to not have any problem but other hams have attested to their honesty. I tried to order my first tinySA through Allie Express (sp?). I didn;t get cheated but there was a disconnect somewhere. The SA never arrived and when I checked there was no tracking info. They did not show I had ever ordered it. They also did not tap my credit card. I ordered from Amazon and that one arrived.
My nanoVNA was ordered through Amazon and came from an offshore seller. There was no problem. I just had to wait for the slow boat. I remember those old days of the mail order. They were not much faster even if they shipped from Chicago or Detroit or Benton Harbor. Pony express tool a lot opf time:)
73,
Bill KU8H
bark less - wag more
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On 11/27/20 6:57 AM, David Wilcox via groups.io wrote: Bill,
I have been ordering from R & L and off shore for years and have yet to get stung. I did order a battery kit for one of my Bose wifi speakers and it did take quite a while to receive it and a battery for my mini quadcopter that came long after I had forgotten about it and bought it somewhere else. But the stuff always came. Again, I agree with you, I wouldn’t buy high end expensive items from fleaBay or the magic carpet people on the other side of the earth but I have been happy with what I received for the low prices I paid for the item. Isn’t this a wonderful time to be alive?
Dave K8WPE and remembering using the US Mail and filling out order forms and having dad get a money order from the post office for my old HeathKit, Lafayette, or Allied Radio items. What a day that was.
David J. Wilcox’s iPad
On Nov 26, 2020, at 10:56 AM, Bill Cromwell <wrcromwell@...> wrote:
Hi Bob,
I bought an H4 and some 'supplies' like couplers to save wear on the SMA conectors in the VNA. I bought from Amazon for peace of mind. I paid more. I have no regrets. Now I have heard about R&L here in the USA (Ohio) and their price might a little less but still more than buying from 'offshore'. I can vouch for the Amazon route. Other list members say good things about R&L.
I have started buying some things from the offshore companies (sellers) especially if I think I can afford to just burn the money in a fire pit. Some of them are honest and will try to satisfy our expectations. So I am putting them on a 'probation' of sorts. That is so I can try to sort out the people I can trust. They are outside the jurisdiction of our legal system and too far away to confront face-to-face. Among other list members I find mixed results regarding the offshore folk.
Have a good holiday.
73,
Bill KU8H
bark less - wag more
On 11/26/20 12:59 AM, Robert Coleman wrote:
To the kind responders;
Thanks for the suggestions, there are plenty of these units there. I started at Amazon and see hundreds of listings, and was wondering about the ending letter ( N or H0). Does that indicate the frq range? And I would guess, if i didn't know better, that all units were made by one or two companies, as they all look alike! And I am looking at using Amazon, if only for the return policy.
Ed: you mention a unit with N-connectors - those seem huge for a small took, but signal quality is better than the so-239 types. one would certainly have to use adapter cables, as noted in the various descriptions.
Thanks to all for the quick replies. My search goes forward with new info!
72 de k1qed, bob.c
.
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And, you waited 6 to 8 weeks for your order to arrive. And at times, there were missing items on 'back order' which never did arrive. Yes, I remember those days well. Thank heaven in those days, we learned to design and build around what could be found within an old (tube) TV chassis. The horizontal output tube always made a good output bottle for the 'final'. Dave - WØLEV On Fri, Nov 27, 2020 at 11:58 AM David Wilcox via groups.io <Djwilcox01= yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote: Bill,
I have been ordering from R & L and off shore for years and have yet to
get stung. I did order a battery kit for one of my Bose wifi speakers and
it did take quite a while to receive it and a battery for my mini
quadcopter that came long after I had forgotten about it and bought it
somewhere else. But the stuff always came. Again, I agree with you, I
wouldn’t buy high end expensive items from fleaBay or the magic carpet
people on the other side of the earth but I have been happy with what I
received for the low prices I paid for the item. Isn’t this a wonderful
time to be alive?
Dave K8WPE and remembering using the US Mail and filling out order forms
and having dad get a money order from the post office for my old HeathKit,
Lafayette, or Allied Radio items. What a day that was.
David J. Wilcox’s iPad
On Nov 26, 2020, at 10:56 AM, Bill Cromwell <wrcromwell@...> wrote:
Hi Bob,
I bought an H4 and some 'supplies' like couplers to save wear on the
SMA conectors in the VNA. I bought from Amazon for peace of mind. I paid
more. I have no regrets. Now I have heard about R&L here in the USA (Ohio)
and their price might a little less but still more than buying from
'offshore'. I can vouch for the Amazon route. Other list members say good
things about R&L.
I have started buying some things from the offshore companies (sellers)
especially if I think I can afford to just burn the money in a fire pit.
Some of them are honest and will try to satisfy our expectations. So I am
putting them on a 'probation' of sorts. That is so I can try to sort out
the people I can trust. They are outside the jurisdiction of our legal
system and too far away to confront face-to-face. Among other list members
I find mixed results regarding the offshore folk.
Have a good holiday.
73,
Bill KU8H
bark less - wag more
On 11/26/20 12:59 AM, Robert Coleman wrote:
To the kind responders;
Thanks for the suggestions, there are plenty of these units there. I
started at Amazon and see hundreds of listings, and was wondering about
the ending letter ( N or H0). Does that indicate the frq range? And I would
guess, if i didn't know better, that all units were made by one or two
companies, as they all look alike! And I am looking at using Amazon, if
only for the return policy.
Ed: you mention a unit with N-connectors - those seem huge for a small
took, but signal quality is better than the so-239 types. one would
certainly have to use adapter cables, as noted in the various descriptions.
Thanks to all for the quick replies. My search goes forward with new
info!
72 de k1qed, bob.c
.
-- *Dave - WØLEV* *Just Let Darwin Work*
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I've had the "H" version with the 4" screen for a few months now. I was building a 2m beam at the time and didn't want to fork out the money for the MFJ unit. It worked totally as hoped. I was able to tune the antenna in the backyard with the Nano connected with a short run of coax. Once on the tower, I checked the SWR in the shack and still bang on. I also used it to check the SWR on my sloper. For the money I spent it is an amazing device. I look forward to building many more antennas thanks to this little unit.
Also used it on the shack PC through Windows 7 and worked without a hitch.
Max
VE3TMT
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David Wilcox K8WPE
Barry K3EUI
va3rr
Don Bomer, W5MML