I found my RFIV box, but not the top or the connecting cable. I'll post a picture in the morning.
I also found an unpopulated dual detector board. I think it is the latest, but would have to verify it. If someone promises to build it, you can have the board and a decent oscillator, I think they are Connor-Winfield 25ppm, I can't remember, for the cost of shipping from California. In the US I would ship it flat rate, I think I have an extra DDS chip too, and if so, I would throw that in.
I have an oscillator that takes a 10Mhz reference input and outputs something above 126Mhz. It's low phase noise, something around -163dBc @100Khz but I never tested it. I wanted to build that 2nd VNA and I have it about 75% populated. Instead of a premium oscillator (one of the Connor-Winfields) and a better DDS, I think I would use LT3045 and LT3094 ldo regulators, and this oscillator that takes a reference. Those regulators are incredible. They will clean-up somewhat dirty supplies. I'm thinking about taking my VNA apart and putting them in. I can just jumper around the regulators that are in there. Back when I built my VNA, we were testing them to see how low the noise floor was and I think using the LT regulators, a better oscillator and a new DDS would be about the limit.
Anyway, I'm going to test my RFIV board in the morning if I can find the cable. I put a connector on the back and would hate have gone thru that trouble and not use it. I wish I could find the top as it had a cutout shield machined into it.
Speaking of home made test equipment, if you want to really go upscale, go here and build Andrew's Phase Noise test system. I did and it is amazing. He's added other features to it now.
In case you are wondering, if you get the Spartan board for around $500, and that's possible, then the rest of the setup will run another $500 by the time you get the ADC board and a pair of low phase noise reference oscillators. So for around $1000USD, you get a board that can outperform many PN test setups that are 10X expensive if not more.
Jerry
