For about $50 you can buy a NanoVNA. This is excellent value. I have never used one, but I believe it can be used as a spectrum analyser. If so, this brings spectrum analysers well into amateur budgets. I am half tempted. There are several YouTube videos on the NanoVNA, although I have not yet watched any.
If you have one, please tell us how you found it.
Hi Roger,
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the Nano VNA
https://nanovna.com/
there is now also the TinySA spectrum analyser which is similarly priced & packaged.
https://tinysa.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.HomePage
Both items perform well and are incredible value for what they are.
The only real criticism I have is that the 2.8" touch screen is a bit on the small side, but both can be operated via PC software which make them much easier to use in the workshop.
For the home brew enthusiast the Nano VNA is probably the most useful of the two as you can measure, L/C/R, impedance, sweep filters, check antennas, TDR transmission lines and determine ferrite mixes. You can also use it as a CW signal source and a very basic spectrum analyser.
The Tiny SA is much more suited to tasks such as tracing interference and measuring signal levels. But it also includes the ability to be used as a simple signal generator which can be AM and FM modulated (fixed formats), and perform amplitude and frequency sweeps. It has some inbuilt measurement options for Harmonics, IMD, Phase noise etc.
The two units can also be linked to perform sweeps if required.
Both items have active support forums on Groups IO.
https://groups.io/g/nanovna-users
https://groups.io/g/tinysa
Only a few decades ago this level of performance would have cost >£100K and now you can hold them in the palm of your hand for <£100 (including internal rechargeable batteries).
These are definitely not toys, but full featured items of test equipment that anyone with an interest in RF construction will find immensely useful and instructive.
Highly recommended.
Martin - G8JNJ