Is an antenna analyzer necessary for building antennas?

I meet one question in a forum, he said" I enjoy building antennas for HF and 2m and wondering if an "antenna analyzer" would be a good investment."  Yes, I think it is a very necessary equipment for building antennas. 

What is antenna analyzer? 

The antenna analyzer is an instrument used to measure various characteristic parameters of the antenna, and has the reputation of "antenna multimeter". With the development of the electronics manufacturing industry, the level of chip integration is getting higher and higher, and the design and manufacturing requirements of functional circuits are getting higher and higher. Amateur radio enthusiasts themselves making an antenna is relatively simple. Since the development of the radio, the electronic circuit of the transceiver has been updated many times, and the basic form of opening has been inherited and retained. It is still widely used in amateur radio and professional radio.

Where antenna analyzer used?

Antenna analyzers are widely used in the field of antenna development, DIY production, installation and debugging, and inspection and maintenance. The reason why the antenna analyzer is known as the antenna multimeter is because the ordinary multimeter is only suitable for the measurement of direct current and power frequency alternating current, which is not suitable for the measurement of the radio band detection with much higher frequency.

Antenna analyzers are powerful tools for detecting and maintaining antennas.

1. Because the outdoor antenna is affected by the wind and rain outside, it is prone to failure of the combined components, so it is necessary to periodically check the condition of the antenna to ensure the communication effect and the safety of the transmitter.

2. Sometimes, the transmitter communication effect is suddenly degraded, or the operating current is abnormal, and the antenna condition needs to be quickly detected to eliminate the fault.

3. Most stations do not have a built-in standing wave meter, so the detection of the standing wave ratio also requires the connection of a dedicated standing wave table. The antenna analyzer can independently measure the standing wave of each frequency point of the antenna feeder system without the cooperation of the radio host, and can provide more reference data, which greatly improves the detection efficiency.

4. Handheld portable antenna analyzer built-in battery, more suitable for field work, the antenna can be detected on the roof.