NanoVNA Calibration and Setup

[@hubercats]

As others have noted, it is necessary to rerun the calibration whenever a new frequency range has been selected, at least that’s what I’ve found. I’m using my Nanovna for HF ham radio work. I set channel zero (the default boot-up channel) to cover the frequency range from 1 MHz to 30 MHz. I’ve set the second channel for the 40 meter band, the third for the 20 meter band, etc. Getting the calibration data to save between reboots was a bit tricky but now it’s done such that when I reboot the unit comes up with C0, showing that it is operating in a calibrated mode. I can then recall any other channel and each one shows the capital “C” indicating that the calibration data are in play. I still don’t understand some of the other calibration menu items but I’ve got things working the way I want now. - 73 - Jim. PS: I should add that I have a nanoVNA 3 which has a slightly different menu structure.

[@transmittinguntilrobotsrep1045]

Well said! Comments like these help the whole community. Thank you for sharing.

[@Francois_Dupont]

like you mentioned from trial and error i discovered that it seems like you need to calibrate each save/frequency range separately.

[@edwardsiclari9235]

I wish I had seen this sooner. My primary use is measure SWR for my ham radio antenna's and for antenna experimentation. I purchased this about a year ago and pretty much put it aside because it looked like it would take a steep learning curve. Watching this video would have saved me hours in learning by trial and error how to calibrate it to use for measuring SWR. Now I will have to learn how to interpret the Smith chart. 73

[@transmittinguntilrobotsrep1045]

I'm glad that you found this helpful. There are a lot of comments on this video that may assist in taking that learning even farther. Good luck with those Smith charts - plenty of good learning there! Cheers! 73 - AC3DS

[@vinces.2862]

Just got a NanoVNA H-4 . Your video was excellent. Very nicely explained in a slow precise manor. My menu's were slightly different from yours but all worked out. Thank you - KI4AWJ - Vince.

[@charleysevers]

same here...

[@MountainMan7.62x39]

Brother, you've got a ton of RF in your audio. I'm really glad I watched this though. Ton of great information.

[@D1v3r9]

perfect, just facts man... awesome. no hands, no bs. thank you.

[@vaclavvanek7209]

thank you very much for the tutorial! your tutorial is 100% the best on youtube

[@kirkjohnson8259]

You do a great job explaining/teaching. TY. I have one of these coming tomorrow

[@zakilibry]

Thanks! you made that easy to understand. This was just what I was looking for.

[@goingdownthetube]

Thanks for this...tracked down a bad coax connector in fairly short order. Good explanation and easy to follow. I'm a subscriber!

[@downsouthsafaris6788]

Thanks for this and the SWR measuring video you’ve nailed the introductory audience perfectly. Watched this and the SWR video - any chance you can do one of more advanced features besides SWR? Like inductance for measuring toroid windings?

[@Charlie-Bee]

I was under the impression that every time you change the frequency range you need to go through the whold open, short, load procedure. Is this not so?

[@bill-2018]

I had written all this info. down but can't find it so watched it again. I must have forgotten something in the calibration and getting odd readings. Thanks. I now see my 4 element h/b collinear is great at 145.4 MHz and nothing to worry about for all the band. It is said collinears are quite wideband and I agree. G4GHB

[@watsok]

Great explanation

[@transmittinguntilrobotsrep1045]

Thanks. It was a good refresher for me prior to getting a new antenna. I do enjoy new antennas!

[@lenny0272]

Great stuff . Thank you

[@hubercats]

A very nice presentation. Thanks! - Jim (KK7CSC)

[@transmittinguntilrobotsrep1045]

Glad it was helpful! 73 - AC3DS

[@geokuf9679]

I think after changing frequency calibration have to be done again. Look at the small "c" on the left.

[@mishueen]

sure it does.

[@Ibelieve218]

how do you display the scale/div that's on the right side of the screen???

[@mjktrash]

There are some differences in menus since you've done this video. It's either that or one of us has a fake unit. (I got mine from 1 of the 2 allegedly legitimate sources on Amazon)

[@F16_viper_pilot]

Can’t someone do a video that shows the entire calibration procedure, not skipping the isolation and through steps?

[@rubberduck4445]

Thx fine Video 👍 Greetings from JO31bf

[@muskrat1949]

how do you reset it to default?

[@kylefreemason]

When you did the calibration, it read swr 1.33, shouldn’t it have been corrected to read 1.1?

[@kaybato]

awsome. ty

[@thomaswashburn3513]

So, was ‘load’ the cap with the insulator? I keep getting confused at that part…

[@F16_viper_pilot]

Yes. There’s a resistor in that one.

[@Hax0rZ1]

I entered the scale but no numbers a present. How do I get it to display?

[@marksavage4189]

hi, help ! i have followed you video, but don't see any scale numbers down the right hand side???

[@john67361]

Damn can you make a short story long?

[@hansalards9758]

Hi, something goes wrong, i can only change by the wheel. Touch screen goes away by touch? What i did wrong?

[@cliffcollins4124]

I found this to be of little help to me infact my VNA no longer works after trying to follow your advice. Because mine comes up with different screens that yours. At the start I only have 2 channels not the 4 that you and all others seem to have. the menus seem to follow along so far, but I don't get the setup frequency screen that you get. It used to go from 500 Hz through, now after follow along with your instructions , which were easy to follow and very clear, suddenly I found I don't have the same screen as you, when it came to setting beginning frequencies, and ofcause I have pressed many buttons. Now its beginning around 300Mhz. So as it stands, it is of no more use to me. Can you help please?

[@charleysevers]

same, but i think it depends on if you have the same exact model/firmware...

[@Celeste-hq5fw]

What the porpose of terminal 2

[@Charlie-Bee]

Port 2 is used for through measurements.

[@hansalards9758]

How i can reset to factory settings?

[@247SH]

brilliant thanks!!

[@UDX4570PalmSprings-yh1mv]

I think i need to calibrate my NaNo vna with a 2.5lb cross peen hammer!🤯👍

[@bmwrider1]

My nano vna is an H4 I am guessing it does not do the scale on the right side as the one you are demonstrating.

[@transmittinguntilrobotsrep1045]

Good question…I’m not sure what the firmware differences are between the H4 and F. I know that they have different processors, screens, and cases, but I haven’t done an analysis on the firmware. There is a groups.io for the H4 which may be a good resource. Please comment back if you are able to confirm any differences. Thanks!

[@clems6989]

go to "w2aew" channel. he shows the h4 in great detail..

[@tixilx]

Excellent …. Tnx…..

[@transmittinguntilrobotsrep1045]

Glad it worked for you! 73.

[@SummitBidTech]

I’m sorry but as many have mentioned you must calibrate for each range. I know you acknowledged this in reply to a comment but leaving this incorrect video up is misdirecting many people. If it were me, I’d take this video down and repost a corrected one.

[@jcp3a573]

Horror! You first calibrate between 1-500MHz and save the calibration to slot 0. On the left side of the screen you see C0 (with a capital C). Good. Next you change the range to 7-7.3MHz and you save the calibration to slot 1 without re-calibration. On the left side of the screen you now see c1 (with a small c). Bad. The small c means that the calibration data is now using new data points obtained by interpolation made using the previous data points. This means that your calibration is not perfect. I suppose you made the calibration using 101 points which means your original calibrations points are spaced 4.99MHz. When you change the range to 7-7.3MHz the closest previously calibrated data points are at 5.99MHz and 10.98MHz. So your new calibration data points (101 points from 7 to 7.3MHz) will have been interpolated using points which in this case are all outside the 7-7.3MHz range. I suppose the interpolation algorithm is a good one and the result may not be as bad as it looks. The NanoVNA is not a professional instrument but it is a very good one: calibrate it properly! What is the use of using interpolated calibration point? For me it would be to zoom in: you scan a certain range and you want to zoom in a smaller portion of this range by changing the start-stop frequencies. But it has to be used with caution: the wider the calibrated range and the smaller the zoomed in range the more likely you will get nonsensical results.

[@stewartbaker2752]

Yes, I am pleased that I was not the only one to spot these errors in calibration. To cut a long story short, you need to recalibrate if/when you change the start or stop frequency.

[@nativetexan9776]

You lost me

[@bwade7342]

Thank you so much for making this video!. 🎉❤ KF4IZP-Ky

[@kd4pba]

Helped me a ton, thanks! KD4PBA