NanoVNA-F Vector Network Analyzer SWR Meter Smith【Upgraded】 Hardware V3.1,10KHz-1.5GHz 4.3 Inch IPS TFT Shortwave MF HF VHF Portable Handheld Antenna Analyzer

Received the NanoVNA-F just an hour ago. I haven't even turned it on yet because I was charging the battery, but then I interrupted the charging because there was a loose screw (shown in first photo) rolling around inside the case.The 5000 mAh LiIon battery is on its own circuit board, and that board is mounted to the main board with four screws into four threaded stand-offs. It was one of these screws that had fallen out. I re-installed the screw and tightened the other 3, but then I thought about how short these screws are. There is only 2.5 mm of threads under the heads and the circuit board is approximately 1.5 mm thick, so there is not much thread engagement in the stand-offs. I measured the depth of the threaded holes in the stand-offs, and it appears that a 5 mm long screw would be just right after going through the 1.5 mm thick circuit board, and not bottom out with room to spare.To re-assemble the unit, I first installed the one end plate over the SMA connectors using the nuts that thread on the connector barrels. Then, when I slid the circuit boards/end plate assembly into the main case, I noticed that the end plate did not lay flat against the end of the case. Then I realized the SMA connectors were not soldered on the main circuit board perfectly straight, which held the end plate at an angle. There was a substantial gap along one side (shown in second photo) even while pushed all the way together, and I didn't want to tighten down the screws to take the gap out because that would put stress on the connectors and the circuit board. I also didn't want to leave the screws loose. The third thing I didn't want to do was to un-solder, then re-solder the connectors, so I actually belt sanded an angle on the end of the case. I know it sounds primitive, but it was the only thing I could thing to do besides send the unit back. It wouldn't surprise me if they are all this way anyway. Even after sanding the case, I realize that the immediate area under the heads of the mounting screws would have some bending force on them, but that was very minor compared to the alternative.Hopefully the factory can start using a fixture to hold the SMA connectors perfectly straight while soldering them on the board. Longer mounting screws and lockwashers for the battery circuit board would be a good idea too.I think it's going to be a great unit, but the initial build quality is lacking. Once I get the unit charged, I will use it for a few days and update my review.

This is the latest (as of 5/22/20) hardware generation from DeepElec (3.1). It came with FW 0.1.3 and I easily updated it to 0.1.4 to get the increase from -13 dBm to 0 dBm output power. It came in a very nice package with the unit in a reusable plastic case that holds the unit and various calibration stubs and a jumper cable. It also includes a USB C to USB A cable for charging and computer connection. No driver is required when used with Windows 10. The FW update process is very simple - a file drag and drop. Additionally, you can put your callsign in a text file (callsign.txt) and drag that over as well. When you start the unit, or look at the configuration through the menu, you'll see your callsign along with the other information.The screen is very readable, even for someone with old eyes like mine. The unit comes with a short instruction booklet and a very helpful single page sheet depicting the entire menu hierarchy. Although the screen is large enough and sensitive enough to use my finger, I use a stylus for screen operations.I downloaded the third-party free NanoSaver software recommended in the instruction booklet and was able to remotely control the unit and generate and save plots. Note that with this third party software you can also generate TDR plots. The unit itself takes 101 points per sweep, but with the software you can specify the number of "segments" you want to take for a given frequency range. For example, you could specify 3.5 to 30 MHz as the frequency range and use 10 segments and you will end up with 1010 data samples plotted over that frequency range. The software has a number of helpful features, including highlighting of the amateur bands (definable) on the VSWR plot and control of colors and size of dots, lines, and markers and control of text fonts and sizes.You can set both the unit and the software to be single sweep or continuous sweep. I set it to continuous sweep and fed the NanoVNA-F with the output of my MFJ antenna tuner (I have a trap dipole in the attic). I was able to adjust the antenna tuner and watch the VSWR plot to find good choices for 40 - 10 meters. Note that I think the native impedance of the unit is 50 ohms so unless someone knows otherwise it probably won't read correctly with ladder line or other non-50 ohm feed line.All in all a very nice product. The 4.3" display is a winner and I'm very impressed with the build quality and operation.

It is amazing how well this device works for the price. I purchased mainly to check the match of my ham radio antennas and it worked well for this task. As long as you are familiar with network analyzers and know why you must calibrate each time the frequency is set and do it, you will have no issue.I purchased RF Demo Kit PCB that has predefined loads and highly recommend this. It will really help in learning all the functions. If you are new to this type of device, you will quickly understand what is going on by time you test each load. The website has a tutorial of each load and tells you exactly how to set the start and stop frequency along with a picture of what you should see.Vector Network Analyzers are expensive and out of reach for most hobbyist. This makes it accessible and most tasks can be completed.The quality is outstanding. Beefy metal case that is robust and feels high quality. The pushbuttons for menu functions are nice over the previous versions having the press, up down slide wheel.You will not be disappointed by this product. This is the version to get!

Normal antenna analyzers give you a snapshot at one frequency or maybe just one band. This allows you to see the resonances of an antenna across the HF (or VHF or UHF) bandwidth. Shows Smith charts, SWR, both forward and reverse losses in coax, you name it! I was able to instantly diagnose a bad coax cable with an intermittent break--you see the sweep results immediately.The nanoVNA-F has 301 points, so more resolution than most nanoVNA versions. The large screen is easy to read, and it supports plugging into a PC for use with freeware apps.The developer has been actively providing updated firmware and supporting the hardware.

It arrived a little early and in good condition. Support from manufacturer is excellent with plenty of user reviews and information, software updates.My use of this has been good. Connecting via a PC for a bigger screen works very well and makes it a lot more easily used.All in all, this has been a great piece of gear I recommend.