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| Reviews Summary for mRS miniVNA 0.1-180Mhz |
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Reviews: 24
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Average rating: 4.1/5
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MSRP: $315 or 240 Euro
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Description: * Frequency coverage 0.1Mhz to 180MHz
* DDS Generator with 0 dBm output
* 2 Ports allow Transmission Measurements e.g. filters, traps
* USB1.1 and USB2 compatibility
* RS232 optional socket for Pocket PC`s or Remote Displays
* Fast Scan (typical 0.6 sec for 500 points)
* Use of an internal Industrial Directional Coupler
* High Reflection Dynamic Range 40dB to 35dB (VSWR 1.06:1 or better)
* Wide Transmission Dynamic Range > 50-55dB
* Measures VSWR, RL, Rs, Z +/-jx, Phase, Cable lenght, R/L/C
* Finds Minimum VSWR automatically
* New transparent box with LED indicators for the operation status
* In-Circuit-Programming for future firmware onboard CPU upgrades
* Operation from 3.6V Phone Batteries possible (current drawn <150mA)
* Software compatible with Windows and Linux operating systems.
* Save and Load of previous measurements
* Software for Pocket PC available
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Product is in production.
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More info: http://www.miniradiosolutions.com/
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NA6MA
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Rating: 3/5
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Sep 20, 2011 20:08
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Useful instrument, inadequate manual
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I purchased the instrument approximately 1 year ago. It is a useful device and allows me perform various measurements.
Unfortunately, the user manual is marginal at best. I like good and detailed user manuals. This one is not. Possibly, the reason for the inadequate manual is that it was written by the developer of the miniVNA who is very familiar with the device and assumes that users are just as familiar.
Also, the company fails to reply to user’s questions. I submitted two questions and never received an answer. This is the main reason for my 3 rating. A better manual would have earned a 5 rating.
For the price, they should have better manual and support.
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K0TF
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Rating: 0/5
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Aug 30, 2011 09:32
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Unsupported junk...
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I got "PRO" version for x-mas last year. wasn't able to make it work at all on XP sp3 machine. Support nonexistent, software... alpha releases at best, not acceptable for commercial product with quite high price tag. Bottom line, I just smacked damn thing against the brick wall. BTW feel much much better now...:-D
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KE7SA
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Rating: 5/5
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May 30, 2011 14:12
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The new miniVNA Pro with the SMA connectors
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Just got back from Dayton Hamvention a few days ago and unpacked my treasures. The miniVNA Pro was the first to check out. If you're new to what a VMA is or does, I recommend you study up on that first as the user's guide is a little vague and assumes you have used one before. Being a retired professional RF engineer used to working with top end lab and field equipment, I am very impressed. Install the drivers and the software, plug it in, set the COM port and the device model and then calibrate via the window in three button pushes. Then save the calibration setting to a file. Took a test drive for about an hour to understand the software and how it works. I've spent the last day or so measuring every antenna and feed line I have. Quickly found my tri-band beam needs a tweak and found two less than good coax cables to the VHF-UHF radio antenna. I had used a borrowed MFJ-269B but the readings were not repeatable and did not have a sweep function. Measurements are now repeatable with the miniVNA. At the time of purchase, there were only 3 units left, in 1 minute they were all sold and I got the last one. That was a close call. Looking forward to the Expander that will take the VNA to 1.5 GHz. They said that it should be available this fall. It's already on my list. Now on to test some filters and RF beads and torroids for a project. I highly recommend this product.
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G8NLY
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 7, 2011 12:36
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Brilliant!
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Made sure I got a decent [class 1] bluetooth dongle for remote use [antennas 15m from shack, wanted to remove cable effects from the measurements], this is a great little VNA. Took my time [half an hour!] to learn the basics, I am finding it a nice piece of test equipment, with a good battery life!
I am also using this as a signal source [up to 0 dBm] very reliable, stable and repeatable for frequency and power output in this mode.
Worth the short amount of time needed to learn to use it properly
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QRPNEW
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Rating: 2/5
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Feb 1, 2011 12:40
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Poor documentation
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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The manual is terrible with little information on how to use this instrument in the real world.
As an example the only practical example given is for measuring simple inductors. I can do that with a dip meter and dont need to spend 500 dollars to do this. This is the only example of how to use the instrument in the manual! Buy a VNA to measure an inductor very smart Batman!
Sure you can do basic things like VSWR and impedance sweeps. However I can do this with my LP100 and several other analyzers for much less money.
Any advantage over a simple analyzer like the MFJ269 will never be realized because the manual is so bad.
I agree with other reviewers about the calibration procedure which is very poorly documented.
The manual just waffles on about calibration however does not explain what files are needed for complete accuracy across its frequency range.
The writer who wrote this manual is obviously the designer who understands everything and who feels that he does not have to explain anything to the end user!
The software has many features which are not working, and it is the most primitive software that I have come across in a long time. It has included a very odd assortment of utilities that can be got off the internet for free!
The blue-tooth is very unreliable and buggy. It wont work with most standard bluetooth adapters because of the dual serial port configuration problem.
In short if you new to the VNA world I would suggest you buy a product that has a better manual because you will need it. There is a Yahoo group however that appears to be dead and has very little information because there are so few users.
The PROMINIVNA has great potential, it is however let down by its poor manual and software.
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K1KP
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 21, 2011 10:59
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Actually it does work with Win 7
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This extremely useful tool can be made to work with Win7. The problem is not with the device but with all the changes thrown in by Bill Gates. It takes some fiddling with the serial/usb driver, and you need to always 'run as administrator' but it does work. I find this my #1 RF tool in the shack.
-I use it for sweeping filters
-I run an SWR plot on my antennas on a regular basis to watch for changes due to wx, degradation, coax problems, etc.
-I use it as a precision signal source
-I use it to measure feedline loss
And on and on it goes. As useful for RF as a DVM or VTVM is for DC.
If you need help figuring out how to use it, check out the Yahoo Group for it.
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RFEXPERT
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Rating: 2/5
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Jan 20, 2011 12:44
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Potential, poor manual
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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MINIVNAPRO
This instrument is capable of doing a lot of things. Now if you a professional RF engineer in the real world you could exploit this instruments potential very quickly and live with all its limitations.
Now if you a ham thinking that you need to step up into the world of VNA's you will be very disappointed because the manual that comes with this device is terrible.
Its possibly the worst manual for a piece of test equipment that I have ever read. The author has forgotten who the target market for this instrument is! They might as well just have thrown the instrument in the box and said "here it is,you on your own now"!
If you trying to sell a instrument, the manual that you should provide with your product should at least cover and show how to use the instrument to make basic measurements. The people who wrote this manual either presume that you have ESP or that you can read their minds or expect you to be a professional VNA expert. This is just appalling.
You will need other professional texts and documents from Agilent or R&S to exploit this instruments potential. All the sites on the N2PK VNA will help as well as the VNWA site for instructions on how to use this instrument.
The instructions for calibration is very poor. The instructions are scattered all over the place and does not explain in clear and concise manner how to calibrate the instrument for accurate use.
The web page constantly brags how accurate the instrument is however when you dont provide users with instructions how to calibrate the instrument to achieve this level of accuracy you might as well not use the instrument.
The documentation for the software is also very poor.
The instruments appears to be well built and its blue tooth link works well.
I will find a use for this instruments besides just doing the basics like impedance and VSWR measurements.
The instruments fine potential is squandered because of the poor manual, lack of information on its use and a web page that provides no alternative to the manual. I would suggest anyone contemplating buying a VNA to consider the N2PK versions or the VNWA which has a better software and documentation.
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W1KLJ
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Rating: 1/5
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Sep 8, 2010 13:31
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No Windows 7 Support
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Software will not run under Windows 7 (64bit). MiniRadioSolutions web site provides no support whatsoever.
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WA4VBC
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 16, 2010 08:34
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Overall very good
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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The miniVNA does a good job for the price of the unit as you can not expect HP or IFR results. The display on the screen is very nice and lets you see exactly what your antenna and feedline looks like. The down side is that setting it up on the PC is not easy (at least for me) to figure out and get working. I got it but it took a lot of experimenting. The other thing that could be greatly improved is the operating instructions that come with it as they are "bare-bones".
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DL4NO
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Rating: 5/5
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May 24, 2010 11:09
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I don't leave the house without it!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Most of my ham activity is in the road as I drive some 500 miles a week. This little blue box is in my laptop bag all the time. I don't know how I could re-tune my HF monoband antennas or optimize these without the MiniVNA.
Do yourself a favor and download the DL2SBA Java software. It has semi-automatic calibration routines and even displays Smith charts!
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