ROADTEST POLL: Would You Be Interesting in Roadtesting a Multi-Hub Antenna?

Nice documentation! They have clearly paid a lot for the antenna hub to be tested, there are 100+ pages of antenna measurements. This would be really neat for burying a load of antennas (not all would need to be used on day one) in vehicles, perhaps even classic cars which need trackers and GPS hidden.

A VNA won't help much, at best it can only help with a small subset of tests for an antenna unfortunately. Only some scalar measurements are possible, because at those frequencies a VNA calibrator is required for vector measurements, and those cost several $k (although I have seen one set for $500-600 which kind of looks reasonable. But even then, it's just a subset.

It's possible to do other tests with cheap equipment (for instance measuring the radiation pattern doesn't need a lot of equipment at all can be sub-$50 as shown in that RoadTest). An SDR is more practical here than a VNA. I think it's good for a ballpark estimate if the antenna is functioning as expected, and there's nothing wrong with such a (literally) field-test, equipment manufacturers test outdoors (if they have a license for it).

Personally I think it's better to either just use the device and write up the usability and practicality of it (doesn't necessarily need to use all antennas), because no end equipment manufacturer is going to pay the hundred $k or so for that level of antenna testing when Molex has already done that, so it wouldn't help the reader (if the reader is an end equipment manufacturer). Personally I think what would help the reader more is seeing it in use, and the practical issues surrounding it, and any (inevitable subjective in this case but it is what it is) findings in the environment it is used in (e.g. mounted against a metal chassis and so on).

Unfortunately I don't have a classic car!, but for sure I've come across owners who were especially concerned with concealing antennas, and they kind of had no choice, because they absolutely need to hide such equipment for tracking purposes. I can imagine the same goes for various car enthusiast sports.

Unfortunately I have a friend that does...

Here is one such antenna from a classic car vehicle tracker

Hidden behind a trim by the rear window.

Connected to this 

hidden in the boot / trunk

Unfortunately I have a friend that does...

Here is one such antenna from a classic car vehicle tracker

Hidden behind a trim by the rear window.

Connected to this 

hidden in the boot / trunk