Dear Group: An echo: the AIM4170 is the greatest thing since sliced bread
(or NEC) for serious antenna people. I use one with an inexpensive- very
small, slow, lap-top to great effect.

The device is also ideal for measuring real components. The ability, if you
buy a small set of high quality resistors, to calibrate out the effects of
fixtures is a delight to use. I have a GR bridge. It has long been the
standard. But my goodness is its use a lot of work.

Note that the device can tell the sign of the phase and I have found that it
works well in the presence of strong signals. Indeed, one feature is that
the device may be asked to scan a band of frequencies and display the
stronger signals found. It is also very easy to calibrate the internal
frequency reference to WWV. All of this with only one moving part - the
on/off switch.

73, Mac N8TT

"Owen Duffy" wrote in message
...

"Sal" wrote in :

....

Say, after following the link, above, I just took a look at that
AIM4170 web site and it looks like it's more trouble to get it up and
running than most things. A lot of the steps are left to the
imagination ... or they assume a whole lot about what potential buyers
already know.

Sal, I bought an AimUHF, and it worked fine out of the box.

I suspect that the problem that most hams encounter with analysers and
VNAs is that the knowledge of basic complex numbers, AC circuit theory,
transmission lines, and antenna systems does not 'come in the box'.

If acquiring such a thing is the stimulus for expanding knowledge on
those topics using the box as a learning aid, that is great. But to
many, they are safer to just treat it as a VSWR measuring device.

I am staggered by the popular advice offered to newbies who ask 'why is
my VSWR high' on eHam and QRZ to borrow an analyser. The advice appears
to offered mainly by people who don't understand the instruments, and
possibly have never used them effectively.

A classic example is the advice to connect the instrument at the shack
end and tune for resonance, for as everyone knows, "an antenna just
ain't gonna work any good unless it is resonate (sic)".

The getting of knowledge just isn't a priority in a world of instant
gratification.

Owen


J. C. Mc Laughlin
Michigan U.S.A.
Home: