Quick Start Guide

This guide gets you from unboxing to your first measurement in about 10 minutes. We will power on the device, calibrate it, and measure an antenna.

What is in the Box

Most NanoVNA-H kits include:

• The NanoVNA-H (or H4) device
• Two short SMA cables
• SMA calibration standards: Open, Short, Load (50 Ω termination)
• An SMA-to-SMA through adapter or barrel connector
• USB cable (Micro-USB for NanoVNA-H, Type-C for H4)

Check Your Cables

The included SMA cables are fine for getting started, but longer or lower-quality cables add measurement error. For serious work, calibrate at the end of whatever cables you plan to use.

Power On

1. Connect USB or charge the battery

   Plug in the USB cable to power the device. The NanoVNA-H can also run on its internal Li-ion battery once charged.

2. Wait for the display

   The screen shows trace plots within a couple of seconds. The device begins sweeping immediately with default settings (typically 50 kHz to 900 MHz, 101 points).

   

3. Orient yourself

   • Port 1 (CH0) — the left SMA connector. This is where you connect things for S11 (reflection) measurements.
   • Port 2 (CH1) — the right SMA connector. Connect the output side of through-devices (filters, cables) here for S21 (transmission) measurements.
   • Jog wheel — the rotary encoder on the side. Turn to move markers, press to select.

Navigate the Touchscreen

The NanoVNA-H uses a resistive touchscreen. Tap firmly with a fingertip or stylus.

• Tap anywhere on the plot to open the main menu
• Tap a menu item to select it
• Tap the plot area again (outside the menu) to close the menu
• Tap a marker readout at the top of the screen to select that marker for jog-wheel control

The menu is hierarchical — selections open submenus. The BACK button returns to the previous level.

Menu Structure (Top Level)

Menu Item	What It Does
DISPLAY	Trace format, channels, scale, reference position
MARKER	Enable markers, search, delta mode
STIMULUS	Start/stop frequency, center/span, sweep points
CALIBRATE	Run calibration, recall saved calibrations
RECALL	Load saved calibration and settings
CONFIG	Device settings, SD card, firmware update, expert options

Set Your Frequency Range

Before calibrating, set the frequency range for the band you care about. Calibration is most accurate when performed at the exact range you plan to measure.

1. Open the Stimulus menu

   Tap the screen, then tap STIMULUS.

2. Set START frequency

   Tap START. Use the keypad to enter the lower frequency:

   • Type digits, then press M for MHz, k for kHz
   • Example: 140M for 140 MHz

3. Set STOP frequency

   Tap STOP. Enter the upper frequency:

   • Example: 150M for 150 MHz

4. Confirm the sweep

   The trace updates to show the new frequency range. The frequency axis labels at the bottom of the screen should reflect your settings.

Tip

You can also use CENTER and SPAN instead of START/STOP. For a 2-meter ham antenna: CENTER = 146M, SPAN = 20M.

Calibrate

Calibration removes systematic errors from your measurement setup. For a quick S11 calibration, you need three standards: Open, Short, and Load.

1. Connect the cable to Port 1

   Attach one of the short SMA cables to Port 1 (CH0). This is the cable you will calibrate at the end of — your measurements will be accurate at its tip.

2. Open the Calibrate menu

   Tap the screen → CALIBRATE → CALIBRATE.

3. Connect OPEN standard and tap OPEN

   Leave the cable end open (or attach the Open standard cap). Tap OPEN. Wait for the sweep to complete.

4. Connect SHORT standard and tap SHORT

   Attach the Short standard to the cable end. Tap SHORT. Wait for the sweep.

5. Connect LOAD standard and tap LOAD

   Attach the 50 Ω Load standard. Tap LOAD. Wait for the sweep.

6. Tap DONE

   The firmware computes calibration error coefficients. The display now shows calibrated data.

7. Save the calibration

   Tap SAVE → SAVE 0 (or another slot). This stores the calibration in flash memory so it survives power cycles.

For S21 measurements too?

If you also need transmission measurements (filters, cables), add a THRU calibration step: connect Port 1 directly to Port 2 with a cable or barrel connector, then tap THRU before tapping DONE. See Full 2-Port Calibration for the complete procedure.

Verify the Calibration

After calibrating, check that it worked:

• With LOAD connected: The LOGMAG trace should show a deep dip (< -40 dB) across the band. This means the VNA sees an excellent 50 Ω match.
• With OPEN connected: The trace should be near 0 dB (total reflection).
• With SHORT connected: Also near 0 dB but with opposite phase.

If the LOAD trace is not well below -30 dB, recalibrate. Common causes: loose connector, dirty standard, or wrong frequency range.

Take Your First Measurement

Now connect your device under test.

Antenna (S11)

1. Connect your antenna feedline to Port 1

   Use an SMA adapter if needed. The measurement is S11 — reflection from the antenna.

2. Enable useful trace formats

   • Tap screen → DISPLAY → FORMAT S11 (REFL) → LOGMAG for return loss
   • Or select SWR to see the standing wave ratio

3. Place a marker at the frequency of interest

   • Tap screen → MARKER → MARKER 1
   • Turn the jog wheel to move the marker
   • Or tap SEARCH → MIN to jump to the best match point

4. Read the results

   The marker readout at the top shows:

   • Frequency in MHz
   • Return loss in dB (more negative = better match)
   • SWR if that trace format is active

Filter (S21)

1. Connect the filter

   • Filter input → Port 1 (CH0)
   • Filter output → Port 2 (CH1)

2. Enable S21 display

   • Tap screen → DISPLAY → FORMAT S21 (THRU) → LOGMAG
   • This shows transmission through the filter in dB

3. Place markers at the passband edges

   • Enable MARKER 1 and place it in the passband center
   • Enable MARKER 2 and MARKER 3 at the -3 dB rolloff points

4. Read the results

   • Passband loss (how much signal you lose in the passband)
   • Bandwidth (frequency range between -3 dB points)
   • Stopband rejection (how well it blocks unwanted frequencies)

Save Your Data

If you have a microSD card (FAT16/FAT32 formatted):

1. Insert the SD card into the slot on the device
2. Tap screen → CONFIG → SD CARD
3. Select SCREENSHOT to save the current display as a BMP image
4. Select SAVE S1P to export S11 data as a Touchstone file
5. Select SAVE S2P to export both S11 and S21 data

You can also transfer data to a PC over USB. See USB Connection for setup instructions.

Connect to a Computer (Optional)

For larger screens, data logging, and advanced analysis:

1. Connect USB — the NanoVNA-H appears as a virtual COM port (no special drivers needed on modern systems)
2. Install software — NanoVNA Saver is a popular cross-platform choice
3. Select the COM port in the software and connect

Tip

On Linux, the device appears as /dev/ttyACM0. You may need to add your user to the dialout group (Debian/Ubuntu) or uucp group (Arch) for access. See USB Connection for details.

Quick Reference: Common Tasks

Task	Menu Path
Change frequency range	STIMULUS → START / STOP
Switch trace format	DISPLAY → FORMAT S11 or FORMAT S21
Add a marker	MARKER → MARKER 1
Find minimum SWR	MARKER → SEARCH → MIN
Calibrate	CALIBRATE → CALIBRATE → OPEN / SHORT / LOAD / DONE
Save calibration	CALIBRATE → SAVE → slot number
Recall calibration	RECALL → slot number
Take a screenshot	CONFIG → SD CARD → SCREENSHOT
Flip display	CONFIG → EXPERT SETTINGS → FLIP DISPLAY
Adjust trace scale	DISPLAY → SCALE → SCALE/DIV

Troubleshooting

Display is blank or garbled

• Ensure the USB cable has data lines (not charge-only)
• Try pressing the jog wheel to wake the device
• If previously flipped, hold the jog wheel during power-on to reset

Calibration looks wrong

• Make sure you calibrated at the same frequency range you are measuring
• Check that calibration standards are firmly connected (no wobble)
• Recalibrate if you changed cables after calibrating

Traces are noisy

• Reduce IF bandwidth for cleaner measurements: STIMULUS → BANDWIDTH (lower = cleaner but slower)
• Ensure connectors are clean and tight
• Move away from strong RF sources that might interfere

Touch screen does not respond

• Tap firmly — resistive screens need pressure, not just proximity
• Run touch calibration: connect via USB, send touchcal command
• See Touch Calibration

Next Steps

Your First S11 Measurement Detailed antenna measurement walkthrough

Full 2-Port Calibration SOLT calibration for both S11 and S21

Reading the Smith Chart Understand the circular impedance display

USB Connection Set up PC control and data transfer