fbpx

AA-2000 ZOOM: the high-end class analyzer

Throughout the night, intensively search for distant stations at 10 meters, but the following noon, relax at 20 meters in the fields. Fortunately, it’ll be summer, the sun will be active.
For some, it will be time for active contests.
A curious mind requires more experiments with frequencies, bands, and types of radio communication with the environment.

You want to get the most out of your equipment. And also protect from the effects of experiments with radio communications.

What can the AA-2000 ZOOM do?

The top RigExpert analyzer AA-2000 ZOOM operates in all amateur radio and professional bands.

RigExpert VNA measures the parameters of antennas, cables, and antenna-feeder paths. These characteristics are needed, firstly, to tune the antenna to operate at a given frequency accurately.

As a helpful addition, the analyzer also measures RF elements like capacitors and inductors, transformers, and traps. Moreover, it does this at different frequencies.

AA-2000 ZOOM is a powerful helper for feeder lines. It will help correctly to cut the cable to the desired frequency, as well as quarter-wave and half-wave (1/4-λ, 1/2-λ) stub.

How the AA-2000 ZOOM does it

In many ways, which are designed for the specific needs of users.

You can measure SWR, return loss, R, X, Z, L, C, Magnitude, and Phase Angle at one frequency or five at once. Or you can go from the opposite and find the ranges in which the devices are ready to work and configure them.

Use Cable tools to measure of Velocity factor, Cable length, and also for the Stub tuner, Cable loss check.

The results are displayed on a large 800*480 color BlanView display. 

TFT-LCD technology enables the display to create high contrast and crisp images even in bright circumstances where sunlight directly hits the display surface.

The Chart ZOOM tool is provided for the most demanding, eager to see even more details on the charts. Narrow keys increase or decrease the center frequency or the scanning range. Function key combination F zooms the vertical scale of the graph.

You can watch the data in graphs, a pivot table, or a retro scale or listen to it by telegraph message.

Add to this an intuitive interface and built-in helper that appears on any screen by pressing the key. You will understand why users call simplicity an essential advantage of all RigExpert VNA. You don’t have to read volumes of instructions or watch dozens of videos on the net before you dare to press the power button.

Moreover, RigExpert analyzers do not need pre-calibration, as they are factory calibrated. You turn them on and work.

SWRchart

The main parameter of the antenna is the standing wave ratio.

Even more revealing is its frequency dependence. 

SWR characterizes the degree of matching of the antenna with the output or input of the transmitter and receiver.

If the SWR is equal to one, this means perfect matching. There are no energy reflections and no standing waves in the feeder. The opposite result is infinity. By the way, energy is reflected and returned.

In this case, the output stage of the transmitter can be damaged. Although in most industrial transceivers with high power, protection against increased SWR is installed.

The results of the measuring are displayed on the chart. The small triangle at the bottom is where the SWR reaches its minimum.

SWR meter

Measures SWR at one frequency and displays on a simple scale.

Such retro SWR meters looked.

The measurement is carried out continuously.

In SWR2Air mode, the analyzer reports SWR by telegraph. Useful if you know Morse code and need to free your hands and eyes for other things. The transmission speed varies widely.

Multi SWR

This way, you measure the SWR at five specified frequencies at once. 

There is no need to do it separately, even again, due to a failure in the settings after each measurement loop.

Owners of multi-band antennas highly appreciate them.

Multiband

The mode allows quick identification of whether the antenna can operate in any radio amateur band.

You will see a list with preliminary frequency and SWR data if yes. Choose the desired position and immediately go to this range on the chart.

The measurements are carried out continuously.  Сan explore three bands at the same time.

My Bands

It is sometimes beneficial to have custom, more flexible bands for advanced analyzer usage instead of rigid amateur regional bands.

In My Bands mode, you manage ten bandplans, each containing up to 100 defined bands.

Calibration data sets

When you use Fixture for measurements in the system, you must repeat its calibration every time. This data is needed to exclude the influence of the cable on the measurement results.

There are various auxiliary Fixtures. Their choice depends on the measured system. 

If you often use them, you are doomed to do many routine calibrations repeatedly.

Now imagine that this is no longer necessary. You just connect Measurement Fixtures and load the calibration OSL file. AA-2000 ZOOM will do the rest. 

If you want to save time and nerves with this helper, load data from previous calibrations you need. The analyzer saves 10 of these files. 

Cable length measurements

The characteristic impedance is one of the main parameters of any

coaxial cable. 

Usually, its value is printed on the cable by the manufacturer. However, in some instances, the exact value of the characteristic impedance is unknown or in question.

To find the characteristic impedance of a cable, connect a non-inductive resistor to its far end. Use the R,X chart mode to get the resistance and reactance data. To determine the impedance characteristics, use the automated coax calculation tools from the Tools Menu.

Cable Length and VF

The resonant frequencies of a cable depends on its length and the velocity factor.

A velocity factor is a parameter that characterizes the slowdown of the wave speed in the cable compared to a vacuum.

Building devices on feeder lines, such as quarter-wave transformers, you need to know the velocity factor. The Cable Length and VF tool will help do it. As the name implies, it also measures cable length.

Reflectometer (TDR)

Looks for inhomogeneities in the feeder line. It allows you to find faults also in power lines and wiring.

The instrument measures the frequency response and performs a fast inverse Fourier transform. The result is an impulse response.

The reflectometer can also find the cable length. It ranges from 14 m to 404 m. You can see the resistance module (ІZІ) and Impulse Response (IR).

Stub Tuner

Helps set up 1/4-λ, 1/2-λ, and other coaxial stubs. Measure with an open end.

AA-2000 ZOOM communications

RigExpert VNA can work remotely via Bluetooth with mobile devices. You need the Antscope app to achieve this.

Communicates with the computer via USB.

Findings

The device is so functional and MNo that it can easily be used in a professional environment, for example, for laboratory testing.

Moreover, beginner HAM radio operators can work it without reading the… If only to find out all the powerful potential hidden in it? After all, we have yet to say everything…