September 06, 2026
Project announcement: building toward a 20 GHz VNA
Why this project exists, where it stands, and what will be posted here as the work progresses.
I’m starting a project to build a vector network analyzer that reaches up to 20 GHz. This post is the first entry on this site and explains where things stand and what to expect here.
Why
VNA measurements are the bread and butter of microwave work. Affordable instruments that go into the tens of gigahertz are rare, and lab gear is out of reach for most hobby budgets. The goal is to put together a design that works at 20 GHz.
Where things stand
Still very early. The work is happening block by block: signal source, directional couplers, down-conversion and the sampling/measurement chain. Nothing is finished yet, and a fair share of what follows will probably be failed experiments before things work.
What will appear on this site
- Short progress updates as the build moves forward
- Photos from the bench
- Measurement results — plots backed up by downloadable files with the raw data, so anyone can re-plot them
This site will be updated as the project develops. If it’s quiet for a while, the bench work is taking longer than the writing.
If you’re interested in microwave hardware, S-parameters or homebuilt test equipment, stick around. Comments, questions and criticism are welcome.