Electronics > RF, Microwave, Ham Radio
Which NanoVNA?
joeqsmith:
--- Quote from: Kahooli on February 21, 2023, 07:24:36 pm ---I own a LibreVNA. It's a nicer device if you plan to use it as a bench device since you have the native software and large screen.
I have compared data results using it Up to 400Mhz and it's pretty decent compared to the E5061B I have at the office.
--- End quote ---
You should take the time to post some data for your LibreVNA showcasing its performance. Back a page, I provided a link to some data for various low cost VNAs which included the LibreVNA.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/warning-about-nanovna-clones-and-comparison-with-siglent-vna/msg4626466/#msg4626466
Since then, I have acquired a new version of the LiteVNA which further improves it's performance. Odd your Keysight wouldn't be dramatically better. That data included my very old Agilent PNA.
A few of us were wondering about the high amounts of ripple that several users show with the LibreVNA. It looks like it has a major problem but it could be the users not knowing how to run it. I tried to watch a few reviews for it. Some of talking head hams got the hardware for free to review but outside of unboxing it, that's about all you get. I've yet to see an actual review from someone who knew what a VNA is. With you having the Keysight, consider putting something together.
***
For some background about the LibreVNA's ripple, read this and follow the links provided.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/sub-$1000-vna-for-antenna-matching/msg4546259/#msg4546259
joeqsmith:
Comparing the data provided by one of the LibreVNA owners with the latest LiteVNA hardware.
Calibrating the LiteVNA using sorted Mini-circuits load and the short, open, thru from the V2Plus4 kit. Ideal model. Both ports terminated measuring S21.
Libre_Lite_PNA_S21term_10GHz_10Avg: Sweeping the LiteVNA from 100kHz to 10GHz with the leakage term enabled, 2kHz IFBW (default) and 10 averages. I included my old PNA as a reference.
Libre_Lite_PNA_S21term_1GHz: Looking at the data below 1GHz, with no averaging. Notice how the LibreVNA appears to perform really poorly at the lower end. I'm sure it meets their spec but we are comparing a $120 vs $730 (current price from Amazon for the LibreVNA). Not owning a LibreVNA to collect my own data, I can only go by what other users have posted. You do get a full 2-port VNA with drift and you get to mount heatsinks to it to make it look cool. Then there is always that question of where does that ripple come from....
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The LiteVNA's firmware normally limits the frequency range to 6.3GHz.
joeqsmith:
Of course, if you want to spend some cash, the Siglent SAV1032x sells for $3,470. Again a user was nice enough to repeat the test using an IFBW of 10kHz. The LiteVNA has a maximum IFBW of 4kHz.
I do like that new LiteVNA hardware.
***
For that price, it looks like Siglent includes one of their famous rotary encoders.
exampleguilty:
--- Quote from: MadTux on January 28, 2023, 06:13:25 pm ---Basic NanoVNA-F or H is good enough for learning, NanoVNA-F V2 if you want nice mechanical design, a bit more frequency range and better display.
Apart from that, NanoVNAs are build for low cost, low part count and tiny size, people at HP and Rohde-Schwarz did it better, 40 years ago.
Go for like an old HP-8753 if you want lab grade instrument, that doesn't do things like using square waves as test signal, that messes up most active circuits.
If they had increased budget by maybe $50-$100, the could have used something like a local oscillator/mixer design with a couple of ADF4350s in their pure spectrum range between 2.2-4.4GHz and a few switched filters to get a nice sinewave test signal istead of the nasty square waves from SI5351 and divided down ADF4350.
User interface/touch screen is implemented quite nicely, though.
--- End quote ---
Once I have a firm grasp of the fundamentals of RF, I want to pursue a career in microwave engineering. If you like a great mechanical design, a little more frequency range, and a better display, consider the NanoVNA-F V2.
Vtech:
--- Quote from: joeqsmith on February 24, 2023, 02:21:17 am ---Comparing the data provided by one of the LibreVNA owners with the latest LiteVNA hardware.
Calibrating the LiteVNA using sorted Mini-circuits load and the short, open, thru from the V2Plus4 kit. Ideal model. Both ports terminated measuring S21.
Libre_Lite_PNA_S21term_10GHz_10Avg: Sweeping the LiteVNA from 100kHz to 10GHz with the leakage term enabled, 2kHz IFBW (default) and 10 averages. I included my old PNA as a reference.
Libre_Lite_PNA_S21term_1GHz: Looking at the data below 1GHz, with no averaging. Notice how the LibreVNA appears to perform really poorly at the lower end. I'm sure it meets their spec but we are comparing a $120 vs $730 (current price from Amazon for the LibreVNA). Not owning a LibreVNA to collect my own data, I can only go by what other users have posted. You do get a full 2-port VNA with drift and you get to mount heatsinks to it to make it look cool. Then there is always that question of where does that ripple come from....
***
The LiteVNA's firmware normally limits the frequency range to 6.3GHz.
--- End quote ---
Hi!
Looks like you have a large collection of data for different VNAs. Would you be so kind as to post a comparison of LiteVNA, NanoVNA-H4, NanoVNA-V2Plus4 and maybe some others in the frequency range 150kHz - 230 MHz?
I would like to do some impedance measurements in this frequency range (coupling-decoupling networks, CDNs) and maybe some radiated RF disturbance in the 30 MHz - 1GHz range. I'm leaning towards buying LiteVNA based on your positive opinion about it. Am I correct that Zeenko Store on Aliexpress is the best source?
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