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Transistor Amplifier Tuning


Only works with linear amplifiers. The tiny drive signal you get from a VNA won't even be noticed by a class-C "competition" amplifier. Needs more drive than that to turn on the transistors. I've been wishing for a 100-Watt VNA for decades.

73

Check out the LP100A. It's an inline watt meter that also reads complex impedance. I'm sure it's not as precise as a VNA but... the price tho.
 
It won't resolve the sign of X, the reactive component. But it will show you the magnitude of X.

The sign is easy to determine. Just change frequency. If the value increases with a higher frequency it's inductive. If it drops when the frequency goes up, it's capacitive.

Yes, Larry's LP100 should tell you what you want to know, while running a realistic drive level. The actual input impedance of most amplifiers will change in step with the drive level. Takes a wattmeter or SWR meter to see that.

73
 

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