[VHFcontesting] [VHF] Re: Quick To the Mystery Machine! [The Case of the Phantom Pre-Amp]

[Jim N7TCF]

I once had access to a 3GHz Network Analyzer after the engineering staff 
went home. With the help of an RF engineer, we set it up to measure my 
homebrew MRF966 preamps for 2m and 432.

We found that max gain and low noise are different points while tuning. 
I would never have found best noise figure without the instrument. I had 
attempted to bench tune it using on-air signals, the results were only a 
S-Meter amp of course.

Such instruments are far less costly today and some well-heeled VHFer 
have them. I hope to avoid blowing these devices up until I know someone 
  with another analyzer.

Jim N7TCF