PS100 Antenna Analyzer

I have a PS100 RF Vector Antenna Analyzer on loan and wanted to try it out. In the past, I have almost bought one but decided to wait. This analyzer is capable of testing between 137.4 MHz and 2.7 GHz. Several parameters can be measured with this analyzer. You can measure Resistance, Reactance, Standing Wave and S11.

This version is capable of charging with a Mini-USB and Micro-USB. It is nice to being able to charge with the more standard Micro-USB. On the bottom of the analyzer, there is a reset button. This is in case the unit locks up. I did not have to press the button any during testing, but I did push it to see what would happen. The unit basically just rebooted.

The antenna connector on the top of the PS-100 is a SMA-K. This is a very common connection type and many adapter cables are available.The rotary encoder is for changing the frequency while testing and changing some settings in the sweep mode.

The case is made from aluminum and is quite sturdy. The front of the unit has 4 buttons on the front. These are used to turn the power on and navigate settings. At first, it is not apparent on how to make the analyzer to turn on. This unit is on loan and did not have any paper work with it; so, I was unable to read the manual.

After a little search, I found the second and last button had to be pressed down at the same time for about a second. The PS-100 booted right up.

Testing for this post is done with a dummy load. The 2.4″ TFT color screen is nice. It is easy to read at pretty much any viewing angle.

To change to the sweep mode, press the “M” button. This is probably the best feature of this analyzer. You can adjust the start and stop of the sweep and dial in to the area you are inserted. There is a marker that can be adjusted to see specific frequencies in the sweep. This helps a lot if you are tuning a multi band antenna. The only real down fall I found with this unit is the lowest frequency is 137 MHz. It would be nice to use this on HF bands and 6 meters.

I will continue testing with the PS-100. As long as I do not run in to any major hiccups or malfunctions, I plan on adding one to my tool box. Since I have the MFJ-259B, this will be useful to measure the higher frequencies.

Links

https://km4nmp.com/2020/02/01/portable-70-cm-yagi-antenna-for-satellites/

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