AA-170 Antenna Analyzer

This is an outstanding antenna analyzer. Everyone picks an area of ham radio that they are particularly interested in and mine is antennas. Up until I purchased the AA-170 all of my measurements were a mixture of subjective observation and a signal strength meter. I was installing a six band vertical antenna (complete with 1200' of ground radials) and my wife convinced me that we needed one of these. Can't imagine tuning a multi-band antenna without this. The multiple SWR display was a real advantage. Also, saving the scans and uploading to my computer for analysis with the included software is fantastic.On a side note, I purchased a couple of "official" (green sleeve) Nagoya NA-771 antennas to upgrade the "stock" antennas on two BaoFeng BF-F8HP radios I purchased and they didn't seem to work any better, and seemingly worse than the BaoFeng antennas. I compared the two antennas on the AA-170 and the stock antenna was 2:1 or below from 144 MHz to 148 MHz while the Nagoya were between 3:1 and 4:1 across the same band. They actually resonated at around 149 MHz so I don't really know what they were designed for. Returned the antennas and saved $40; a little over 11% of the cost of the analyzer. I'll never go antenna shopping without the Rig Expert again!Todd (AD0RR)

I have two Rig Expert analyzers, AA3-30 bought from Amazon about 2 years ago.It didn't cover the 6 meter or 2 meter bands so I bought this one.Performance of both are excellent, probably the best you can buy for the price.Both have the same issue so I didn't give it 5 stars.The UHF connector doesn't allow some connectors to connect all the way. The hole in the plastic case is not large enough to allow the antenna cable connector to screw down all the way. If the hole was slightly bigger it would work with all connectors.I might take my Dremel tool and enlarge the hole slightly.Several hams have reported problems with breaking the unit when tightening the connector too much. Probably due to the plastic case hole size.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CUFQIFY/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0WA6PHR

This antenna analyzer is the 2nd one I purchased from amazon in less than a week. The first one was an mfj 259c which was broken. Had to send it back. The Rig Expert appears to be much better quality and is easy to use. I now have a way to test my 10, 20, 40 ,and 2 meter antennas for an accurate SWR. Mine came with batteries, a software / driver CD, and a couple different manuals.

This is a professional quality antenna analyzer for 1 - 170 MHz. Not only can you measure SWR at discrete frequencies, but you can graphically display the SWR across any frequency range you want. You can also measure and display the antenna resistance and reactance at discrete points and over any band. One of the best features is the ability to display the SWR at up to five discrete frequencies simultaneously - very handy when tuning a multiband antenna. Using a USB cable to your computer, you also can generate very nice-looking plots on your computer screen using the included software. You set frequencies via pushbuttons, and the frequency setting is extremely stable - a much better arrangement in this case than the analog tuning one finds on some other analyzers. I recently designed a matching network between the antenna impedance measured by the AA-170 and 50 ohms, and I found the measured data worked well in the completion of my design. A truly superior instrument.

I stretched my budget to purchase this unit and am satisfied with the features. I do mis the coverage of the 70 cm band and the analog meter of my previous analyzer. The software, and the ability to connect to a computer are new to me and very welcome. I have owned this for about a month and am still learning new things but already have a better understanding of the smith chart and the imaginary part of antenna impedance. The 170 is the upper end of the frequency coverage. They do offer devices with higher frequency coverage but they did not fit in my budget.

So far this unit is pretty solid in operation, usability, reliability, and I have had no reason (yet) to question the accuracy of any information presented from it. Great analyzer.

Excellent construction. Comfortable to hold. Sweep SWR scan is fabulous, especially for multi-band antennas. Took it to my radio club last night and everyone was impressed as I checked out their HT 'rubber ducky' antennas.

The accuracy of the readings are great much better than the MFJ analyzes I have owned in the past. The one thing I don't like is the low resulation screen, with today's LCD screen prices I think they could use a better screen at the same price. Also a build in charger would be nice instead of having to remove batteries to charge them.