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Re: Topband: antenna analyzers

To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: antenna analyzers
From: Wes Stewart <wes_n7ws@triconet.org>
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2018 15:25:47 -0700
List-post: <mailto:topband@contesting.com>
I can now verify that the FA-VA5 does just fine on my 160 meter inverted-L.

As an aside, we've had some rain here in Tucson lately and I've observed a decrease in the feedpoint Z of about 5 ohm due to increased ground conductivity.  Welcome, but I know it's temporary.

Wes  N7WS



On 10/12/2018 1:35 PM, Wes Stewart wrote:
I can vouch for the AA-55 Zoom, although it is not without flaws. I live 5.9 miles from a 50KW BC station on 1550 kHz.  On my 160-meter inverted-L they are 70 dB over S9 on a calibrated K3, that's 70 dB above -73 dBm or -3dBm. As long as I don't sweep through that frequency, the analyzer is unfazed.  As an aside, I have yet to find a low cost SDR that will stand up to this.  I had to return a RSP2 Pro that even with BC band filtering folded up like a cheap suitcase.

My N2PK VNA works fine as does the DG8SAQ VNWA.  I just last night finished building a DG5MK designed FA-VA5, which I suspect will do okay.  It will run using the VNWA software too.  Good thing, since so far, the standalone interface is wanting, but that could be my failing.  (It's really tough to run an instrument this powerful with just three push buttons)

Note that all of these are vector analyzers.

Wes  N7WS

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