Re: Looking to buy network analyzer.
..., Fri Feb 23 2018, 04:02AM

What frequency range do you need?

Re: Looking to buy network analyzer.
Hazmatt_(The Underdog), Sun Mar 11 2018, 04:16PM

Patrick, a VNA is useless without a good pair of cables, and a cal kit.

A mechanical cal kit is going to set you back $6K

And a good pair of cables will set you back maybe $500

I don't want to get into adapters, one adapter can set you back anywhere from $200 to $500 from SGMC.


What frequency is precisely the question though.

I was looking at the 6 GHz models, which seem to be fairly affordable, compared to the $300K PNA-X's we play with at work.

This is not a cheap direction you're looking to go into.

I have heard there is a lot of surplus up there in silicon valley, I usually go to the TRW swapmeet at work and have seen a couple network analyzers there, the last one I saw only had 3 port measurement, and I didn't have $3K. I have seen an 8510 though, and that thing is a real workhorse, dated, but that and a good sweep generator to 20 GHz and you'd be set for life.

I wanted to get into this too, but I got no money. I was thinking of building an adapter for the scope instead, after all, all you need are the power sensors from AD AD8307's, a triggered sweep source, some directional couplers, and you can build your own. The hard part is finding the time.