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Author Topic: TEST EQUIPMENT  (Read 463 times)

WD0GOF

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TEST EQUIPMENT
« on: September 10, 2022, 11:45:08 AM »

Have you looked at the TinySA?
It is a spectrum analyzer, sweep generator and a signal generator and fits in the palm or your hand. Add an external 60db step attenuator and you have an excellent RF lab.

Spectrum Analyzer with two inputs, high quality MF/HF/VHF input for 0.1MHZ-350MHz, lesser quality UHF input for 240MHz-960MHz or Signal Generator with two output, sinus output for 0.1MHz - 350MHz and square wave output for 240MHz-960MHz when not used as Spectrum Analyzer.

Product support is exceptional. You can communicate with the system designer via a group.io forum.

For more info search tinysa.org or search YouTube tinysa.
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N4ATS

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Re: TEST EQUIPMENT
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2022, 06:03:21 AM »

Yes , I have the Network Analyzer that matches it , works great but you need magnifier glasses to use it. it is more of a "cute" thing and would be a HUGE seller if they had a video port that would support external monitoring. Here is the VNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa6dqx9udcg
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KB1GMX

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Re: TEST EQUIPMENT
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2022, 08:44:53 AM »

Another I just discovered xxx post.

NanoVNA is now about 3 years old or older, the tiny SA is easily
hitting two years on the market.

The NanoVNA is also available as the H4 version with a much larger display.
Its software is winders only but has a few useful modes like it can cover a
wider band (slowly) with enough points to be useful.

The TinySA is limited by the small screen and about 290 points of data capture
so wider bandwidths are covered using wider resolution or multiple scans.
Again he software can capture the info (winders) and all.

I have both TinySA and NanoVNA (small and large) and they are useful
tools at a approachable price.  THe screen sizes are tough but for the price
worth it.  I have Rigol and HP gear but none of those run on a battery or
fit in my pocket.  They are sufficiently accurate to be very useful for all
but the most critical use.

The big fails for both the TinySA is no tracking generator,  NanoVNA lacks
resolution needed for crystal filters.


Allison
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VK6HP

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Re: TEST EQUIPMENT
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2022, 01:32:10 AM »

The cross-post makes it hard to know where to respond but, since my comments are in a similar vein to the previous poster's, I'll add to this thread.

While any spectrum analyser is better than none in many circumstances, the poor resolution bandwidth is also a pretty severe limitation of the TinySA in many applications.  Two-tone audio-spaced tests and diagnostics of digital transmissions are two examples. 

I agree that a tracking generator is useful but I've found myself doing more with the nanoVNA recently, partly because the resolution bandwidth of my Rigol RSA3015E-TG go-to unit is quite poor (1 kHz) in TG applications such as crystal filter characterization. I don't recall that limitation in my earlier DSA-series unit but it seems to be a characteristic of the 3000N series, too.  Using the nanoVNA-F with NanoVNASaver worked better for my phase-noise measuring notch filters, although I did find a bug in the plotting routine when used on narrow sweeps.  Anyway, the developers fixed that, and I'm grateful.

You get what you pay for, although the bangs per buck are undoubtedly highest at the entry end of the field.  On the other hand, having too many limitations gets pretty wearing during any serious work. 

73, Peter.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2022, 01:34:29 AM by VK6HP »
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WA4ZYN

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Re: TEST EQUIPMENT
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2022, 05:00:19 PM »

I have a TinySA (though I have found recently that mine is a clone model).  I have not figured out how to use it as a sweep generator.  How is this function done?

tnx es 73,
Francis WA4ZYN
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KC3TEC

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Re: TEST EQUIPMENT
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2022, 12:04:09 PM »

I have a TinySA (though I have found recently that mine is a clone model).  I have not figured out how to use it as a sweep generator.  How is this function done?

tnx es 73,
Francis WA4ZYN

I have the nano vna and the tinysa both,
The tinysa is so neat when measuring or checking for spurious emissions
I do need to take more time to study it more, but i really like it.
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