HP 8720C VNA test port cables

[jeffhook]

Hi,

I have a HP 8720C VNA that I just added to my ham shack test bench but I need cables for it. (and Cal kit)
I was planning on finding some 3.5mm NMD to APC7 cables and using APC7 adapters to connect to DUT.
So far all the cables I've seen are out of my price range. Are their any low cost solutions for VNA cables for a basement lab?

Thanks - Jeff KDØORH

 

[biff44]

the NMD connectors should take 3.5 MM female connector. U can get a 3.5 mm to sma adapter, and then just use standard SMA to SMA cables...u can get some nice cables on ebay for maybe $80 each.

The purpose of getting the $3000 cables is to take out just a little error as you get up above 12 ghz, so if you are not that fussy....why spend the scratch

BTW, I have not used an apc-7 connector in around a decade or two. Why on earth would u want a cable with apc-7? hoping for a cheap cal kit?

As far as cal goes, a standard sma short (like from pasternack) and leaving the sma port open (for the open) works pretty well for a response cal. Finding a USED, CHEAP, and GOOD cal kit is not going to be that easy,

 

[jeffhook]

APC-7s on the end of VNA cables seems ideal to me. Lots of APC-7 to N, TNC, BNC, SMA, 3.5mm adapters available (about $25 each) to use as port savers.
I have most adapters already and apc-7 cal kits are the cheapest. - Jeff

 

[biff44]

well, like i said, it depends on what you are trying to do. I almost exclusively use SMA connectors, so cal kit in SMA is the only thing that makes sense to me. U get the best results using the same cal kit sex as your connector of DUT

 

[jeffhook]

I haven't seen NMD to SMA adapters. I'm worried about screwing non NMD 3.5MM connector's into the NMD test ports?? - Jeff

 

[biff44]

if u use an air dielectric 3.5 mm sma, it will fit perfectly. A normal plastic dielectric sma might screw things up a little. I have a 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm adapter installed in my NMD, and run the cable off of that for one of the ports.