joe smithWhy did I almost damage my H4 VNA? What effect does high voltage have on capacitance and how to measure it? How much do the capacitors have to change to cause a +/- 10 Hz shift in resonance? Can a number 2 pencil be used to lower a crystal's resonance?
Response to Viewer Comments about the Effects of HV on Crystal Resonancejoe smith2023-06-16 | Why did I almost damage my H4 VNA? What effect does high voltage have on capacitance and how to measure it? How much do the capacitors have to change to cause a +/- 10 Hz shift in resonance? Can a number 2 pencil be used to lower a crystal's resonance?
Thanks for everyone's comments.
Part 1 may be found here: youtube.com/watch?v=YmxHZox3lAALiteVNA64 VNA, Hardware Differences between 64-0.3 and 3.1joe smith2024-04-28 | A visual inspection of the latest hardware revision of the LiteVNA 64 and the previous release.Spark Gap Transmitter + Tecsun PL-990, How Far Does it Reach? Part4joe smith2024-04-25 | Video demonstrating the latest transmitter and a home made cohere. Test was ran using a Tecsun receiver to see how far the transmitter reaches using a car ignition coil as a source.
EEVBLOG thread eevblog.com/forum/rf-microwave/fly-swatter-ham-radio-transmitterElectronic Fly Swatter 160 Meter Spark Gap Transmitterjoe smith2023-12-03 | A simple 160 Meter ham band transmitter using a cheap electronic fly swatter as a source. Using my Signal Hound spectrum analyzer to show the effects of adding a second stage.
For context, please see the following thread on EEVBLOG: eevblog.com/forum/testgear/brymen-bm789-360289/msg5031622/#msg5031622Gossen Ultra, 121GW and Brymen BM869s stabilityjoe smith2023-09-02 | 500mV source from Fluke 731B reference. No warmup allowed. Just showing how unstable the EEVBLOG 121GW is compared with the other two meters.
EEVBLOG link to my software development area: eevblog.com/forum/rf-microwave/nanovna-custom-softwareInside the NISSEI RS-70 Digital SWR/Power Meterjoe smith2023-07-30 | In this video, I take a deeper look at the NISSEI RS-70 in an attempt to determine why its performance is so poor.
Introduction to Waveguides using the LiteVNA, Part3 youtube.com/watch?v=xe4Fy4LpnqwIntroduction to Waveguides using the LiteVNA, Part3, 3D Printed Hornsjoe smith2023-02-13 | This video compares various 3D printed plastic horns by looking at their radiation patterns and VSWR. Also shown is a simple experiment where we attempt to compare a few different solid materials placed inside of a waveguide.
It was mentioned that The Signal Path channel made a video on 3D printed waveguides. The attached link takes you to what I believe they were referring to. He made a few horns and a filter. He's experimenting at much higher frequencies than I am and surface finish.
Introduction to Waveguides using the LiteVNA, Part2 youtube.com/watch?v=qxH-a0cCY3UIntroduction to Waveguides using the LiteVNA, Part2, The Frequency Extenderjoe smith2023-01-16 | This video shows my homemade slotted line and using it to validate the frequency extender shown in Part 1. The extender is also used to compare various fixed attenuators.
It was mentioned that The Signal Path channel made a video on 3D printed waveguides. The attached link takes you to what I believe they were referring to. He made a few horns and a filter. He's experimenting at much higher frequencies than I am and surface finish.
During this video, I show a couple of printed horns from the following link. Maybe we can test them out in the future.
antennatestlab.com/3dprintingIntroduction to Waveguides using the LiteVNA, Part1, Homemade Waveguidesjoe smith2023-01-09 | This video shows my attempts to construct some homemade waveguides and experimenting with them using the LiteVNA.
I’ve been teaching microwave polarisation wrong! - A Level Physics youtube.com/watch?v=TWu4U-ngMjkDMM Input Protection Vs NSTjoe smith2022-11-28 | Video showing some of the parts pulled from handheld meters that were damaged beyond repair during my testing being exposed to the output of an NST.
Jiri Bekr, "UT61E+ is the only multimeter with classic shunt wire, that even when overheated, still has the same reading, no matter the shunt temp. I have overloaded the multimeter (1 minute at nominal current should be enough for CUT indication), and the measurement was still absolutely correct (after the CUT was done beeping). Any other multimeters begin showing more and more, until you get like 12A on display while just 10A is passing through the multimeter. Usually shunt wire gets hot at nominal current, begins to expand its length and increases resistance, so also increasing burden voltage, causing bad reading. Some SMD shunts are prone to this too, but not that significantly of course."
Keysight, USB Type C Cable Compliance Test with Keysight VNA & Enhanced TDR Application youtu.be/ejRdFSE7HR8?t=123
Keysight, Signal Integrity at 400G and Beyond youtu.be/XwyTtCkUpwA?t=59Adding Eye Diagrams to Solver32 for the LiteVNA & V2Plus4joe smith2022-10-13 | For more details on creating eye diagrams on a VNA refer to the following:
Section: 1000BASE-T MDI Return Loss The BALUN uses a Mini-Circuits TC1-1-13M. The paper shows a start frequency of 1MHz where this transformer is spec'ed for 4.5M - 3G. Digikey still offers an evaluation board for this transformer (shown in previous picture). Datasheet may be found here:
While the TC1_1_13MA was setup as a current BALUN, the ADT2-1T was setup as a voltage BALUN. Attached showing the return loss of the four pairs on our 1Gb Ethernet after calibration.
My video comparing the U1282A's GDT protection with the more common MOV approach. This video was inspired after watching the EEVBLOG review below. youtube.com/watch?v=wYCGnYglRjY
My video comparing the U1282A's GDT protection with the more common MOV approach. This video was inspired after watching the EEVBLOG review below. youtube.com/watch?v=wYCGnYglRjY
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions may be found here: docs.google.com/document/d/1gEPFeOZpsNSm0-7sA98w2P5XE5x77Oal9dQEYvQnF6g/edit?usp=sharingKeysight U1282a Review Part4, Viewer Suggestions and Beginning of Destructive Testingjoe smith2022-08-22 | Part4, We look at the KeySight U1282A's burden voltage and attempt to measure some low value capacitors. We also look at over voltage, full wave rectified 220V, ESD, open fuse voltage brake down tests.
My video comparing the U1282A's GDT protection with the more common MOV approach. This video was inspired after watching the EEVBLOG review below. youtube.com/watch?v=wYCGnYglRjY
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions may be found here: docs.google.com/document/d/1gEPFeOZpsNSm0-7sA98w2P5XE5x77Oal9dQEYvQnF6g/edit?usp=sharingKeysight U1282a Review Part3, Non-Destructive Testingjoe smith2022-08-20 | Part3, Performing non-destructive tests on the KeySight U1282A's including low temperature operations, drop, chemical exposure. We also compare the meters response time with several other meters.
My video comparing the U1282A's GDT protection with the more common MOV approach. This video was inspired after watching the EEVBLOG review below. youtube.com/watch?v=wYCGnYglRjY
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions may be found here: docs.google.com/document/d/1gEPFeOZpsNSm0-7sA98w2P5XE5x77Oal9dQEYvQnF6g/edit?usp=sharingKeysight U1282a Review Part2, The Frequency Counterjoe smith2022-08-07 | Part2, After discovering that the U1282A's frequency counter has problems above 30MHz, I decided to try driving the meter with a different waveform as well as compare it with a few other low cost meters.
My video comparing the U1282A's GDT protection with the more common MOV approach. This video was inspired after watching the EEVBLOG review below. youtube.com/watch?v=wYCGnYglRjY
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions may be found here: docs.google.com/document/d/1gEPFeOZpsNSm0-7sA98w2P5XE5x77Oal9dQEYvQnF6g/edit?usp=sharingKeysight U1282a Review Part1, Initial Checkoutjoe smith2022-08-06 | After 2000 of you crazy people decided to join this channel, I offered you a choice of which high end meter to look at. You chose the Gossen Ultra. With 20,000 of you now following, it seemed fitting to once again let you pick which meter to run. This time, you chose the Keysight U1281A. I wasn't able to locate stock and we ended up with its big brother.
Part 1, we perform an initial checkout of the Keysight U1282A
My video comparing the U1282A's GDT protection with the more common MOV approach. This video was inspired after watching the EEVBLOG review below. youtube.com/watch?v=wYCGnYglRjY
Partial list at the time of this post: Brand model, requested by, link to manual Hioki DT4282, Fungus, hioki.com/euro-en/products/testers/dmm-4/id_5803 Sanwa PC7000, rsjsouza, overseas.sanwa-meter.co.jp/download/index.html AEMC MTX 3293B, Bogdan Oliver, aemc.com/userfiles/files/resources/usermanuals/Multimeters/MTX3292B-3293B_EN.pdf Gossen Metrawatt Metrahit Prime M248A, joeqsmith (was it ever improved as someone suggested or was that a bunch of BS?) Brymen BM857S , Fungus, https://brymen.eu/wp-content/uploads/biall/102020/102020.KARTA_EN..2015-07-08.1.pdf Testo 760-3 , Remco Van Triest, UNI-T UT61E+, jspencerg, New unit to attempt to repeat the transient tests without any modificationsFarewell to LabView!joe smith2022-04-22 | I'm a long time user of LabView but with new management comes a new company logo and a change in the licensing. If you're big on renting your software, this is good news for you. For the rest of us, it marks the end of an era.
Part 1 youtube.com/watch?v=lpQnuxNDuy8Siglent SDG1032X Easy Pulse Poor Quality Encoderjoe smith2022-03-22 | We bought our very first Siglent product, a brand new SDG1032X Easy Pulse Arb which has a very poor encoder design. Doing a quick search on Google, found the following link.
Part II youtube.com/watch?v=kW7VEMmBBSASolver64 Software for the LiteVNA & V2Plus4joe smith2022-03-08 | This video demonstrates my latest software for the LiteVNA as well ast the V2Plus4. The software was written in LabView and is a 64-bit application.