HFU HF Underground
Technical Topics => Equipment => Topic started by: ThaDood on April 30, 2021, 2311 UTC
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Anyone ever try this antenna analyzer to match-up Part #15 antennas and Carrier-Current Coupling? https://www.mtcradio.com/mfj-209c-hf-vhf-220mhzswr-anlyzr-nolcddisp/ I like that the newer MFJ analyzers now measure that low. Just too bad that the original ones don't, like the MFJ-269C that I bought in 2005. I also like that the MFJ-209C does the 222MHz band, where as the MFJ-269C skips over it.
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Got the 209C here but have only used it on HF. Very basic instrument but it works for my purposes. Picked it up on clearance, it does not seem to be widely available, cannot find it in the latest catalog, may be discontinued.
If anybody wants one and can find it, better grab it.
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I never liked the MFJ analyzers; too easy to damage by inadvertent static, etc. I bought a rigexpert AA-35 Zoom last year, couldn't be happier, and it goes down to 60 KHz. And yes, I have used it on a psudo-part15 station.
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The NanoVNA architecture can go down to 10-50KHz and up to 1.5-3GHz (via harmonics) depending upon the particular model.
It does not have the construction quality of commercialized competitors, but the price is reflective of the difference. ;)
Also, I suggest anyone interested in a NanoVNA to not buy a clone. Buy a known model from one of the recommended resellers.
https://nanovna.com/?page_id=121
I like my NanoVNA-H4, but admittedly, I am not tuning lots of transmitting antennas or needing professional-grade results.
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I have both a nanoVNA as well as a RigExpert (zero model, I added my own TTL to USB cable). I tend to use the former on VHF/UHF and the latter on HF (mostly due to inertia). Very handy for testing and maintaining all my antennas.
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I still have my RigExpert Zero, which I bought on your recommendation Chris. I bought the 35 Zoom simply so I didn't have to keep dragging a laptop to the base of the antenna every time I was in the field setting up for a show ;D
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German Laugh-In soldier says, "Very interesting.". Indeed, interesting, and quick feed-back from y'all on this. Well, the only other antenna analyzer that I've used is one from Bird, to match train and metro railcar two-way radios. But, I wasn't about to pay for what Bird wanted for that unit back in 2005, so I bought the MFJ-269C for $500.00. My take??? Extremely versatile, and even liberating, device for HF and VHF. However, UHF on it was the Russian phase, "Trust, but verify." I still use the bi-directional wattmeter up there, but everywhere else, the MFJ dead-nuts matched the wattmeters. Anyway, price is indeed an option for me, so getting an antenna analyzer for less than $200.00 certainly looks attractive to me. Thanks for the input!
UPDATE 5/8/2021: Bought one over at MTC. For $190.00 and free shipping, that was a YES!
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Huh... MTC later found that, not only didn't they have anymore MFJ-209C's in-stock, but couldn't order anymore from MFJ. (Gee... Even I could have told them the later.) So, they had three MFJ-259D's in-stock, so I ordered one of them instead. That goes down even lower, but misses the 1750M Experimenter's Band, which I've done only via Carrier-Current. Still, if I want to try something on the newer 472kHz HAM Band, I now could. https://www.mtcradio.com/mfj-259d-swr-antenna-analyzer-hf-vhf-and-220-280kghz-230-mhz/