OpenBCM V1.13 (Linux)

Packet Radio Mailbox

DB0FHN

[JN59NK Nuernberg]

 Login: GUEST





  
G8MNY  > TECH     01.08.05 11:20l 185 Lines 8533 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 56528_GB7CIP
Read: GUEST OE7FMI
Subj: Spectrum Analyser mods 88/89 2/4
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<DB0FOR<DB0SIF<DB0EA<DB0ACC<DB0GOS<ON0AR<ON0AR<7M3TJZ<
      HG8LXL<VK4TTT<GB7CIP
Sent: 050801/0830Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU #:56528 [Caterham] $:56528_GB7CIP
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU
To  : TECH@WW

By G8MNY                                              (New Apr 05)

1st MIXER in MC3356.
A 2:1 step up ferrite transformer & no termination resistor will give 6dB more
gain, but no transformer is flat over 0.5 - 90MHz range so this is not used.
The mixer has a gain of about 5dB.

The osc provides 2 out of phase outputs (one with no RF!) that are buffered to
drive the Gilbert mixer cell (unbalanced), which has one RF input & 1 output.

     Tuned cct        OSC      BUFFERS      MIXER  CELL
+12V컴컴컴쩡컴컴 4o컴컴컫컴컴컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴�       旼 +12v
          ) L2          �     �/    �   �           �          � 4.3uH )
          쳐컴컴 3o컫컴�)�10K캑     �   �           �  IF      �    L3 )  1n
      旼컴�          \� �     �\e �/    �   旼컴컴컴)컴컫컴컴컴)훟5 컴컨캑쳐>
     ===  �           쳐좔10K컴�)캑     �   �       �   �      �      to 145MHz
     /_\ === 2p2    e/�         � �\e �/     \�   �/     \�   50K     IF Filter
Sweep �   쳐컴컴 2o캑           �   쳐�       쳐쩡�       쳐�  �
>�10K캑   �         �           �   � �\e___e/� � �\e___e/� �  �
      �  === 5p     �           쳐컴)컴컴컴)컴컴�    �      �  �
  1n ===  �         �           �   쳐컴컴�)컴컴컴컴�)컴컴컴�  �
      �   �   RF in �           �   �    �/           \�       �
From>�)컴�)컴쩡 20o�)컴컴컴컴컴�)컴�)컴쩡�             쳐쩡10K캑
LPF   �   �  �      �           �   �  � �\e_________e/� �     �
      �   �  �      �           �   �  읕컴)컴컴컴컴�)컴�)�10K캑
      �   �  �      �           �   �      �         �   �    _�_
      �   � 1M     50K         50K 50K    330       330 ===   \_/
      �   � Preset  �           �   �      �         �   �20p _�_
      �   �  �      �           �   �      �         �   �    \_/
 0v 컴좔컴좔컨�  1o컨컴컴컴컴컴컨컴컨컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컴좔컴좔컴컴�

L2 is a spread out coil 5 turns 5mm dia. The 12V is well decoupled with 10n @
L2. The original Varicap was a MV209.

N.B. never accidentally put a earth on pin 2, as this will destroy the OSC PNP.


6/ To get the last drop of balance out the 1st mixer, I found a 1M preset from
RF input to ground could get a slight improvement in balance & reduce a 2nd
harmonic of a pure RF signal by 2dB. If the balance is the other way, try the
pot to +12V.

 dB  0Hz
+70눴
+60눴         . Fo
+50눴   ^     �
+40눴   |     �    Adjust 1M
+30눴 ~60dB   �     for Min
+20눴   |     �       \|/
+10눴   v     �       2Fo    Noise
  0늑컴컴컴컴컨컴컴컴컴좔컴� Floor

Use a well filtered Osc (2-30MHz) so 2nd harmonic > -60dBc

7/ The varicap tuned first local VHF oscillator's range has extended to tune
from 145MHz to 235MHz by adding further UHF Varicaps across the initial one &
stretching/reducing the osc L. This may depend on the varicap used & stray C.

8/ The oscillator coil is adjusted to give 0Hz line (eg osc = 145MHz) when the
FREQUENCY control vernier is set to 0 (mechanically near the -12V end of the
pot, so that tuning sweep line after the amp is near to +12V). This also stops
the unwanted image side of the 0Hz from being displayed & causing confusion.

+12v컴컴컴컴컴�                                 �       0Hz
            FREQ<컴컴컴컴컴쩡�>Tuning           �        �
           10K POT         �      DC            �  No    �    5MHz
              �           ===22u                쿔nverted� � Markers
           80MHz CAL       쿍ipolar             쿏isplay � � | �   �
           5K PRESET      _�_                   �  \�/   � � � � � �
-12v컴캑<쳐컴켸          ////                   �________�_�_�_�_�_�__
     Thermal 
    compensation. (See 20/ & 21/)

1st I.F. FILTER
9/ Mine used a standard 50� 2M three pole TOKO 144-146MHz filter, (the original
article said to build your own). This can be modified from a bandwidth of about
3MHz (-10dB) with 3 peaks, to a single peak 1.5MHz wide, by adding 2 small
metal shielding strips (6mm x 8mm) to cover the 2 apertures between the 3 coil
sections, BUT this is fiddly to do!

Underside view                    After mod
 旼컴쩡컴쩡컴�                  旼컴쩡컴쩡컴�
 �( ) ( ) ( )�                  �( )�( )�( )�
 읕컴좔컴좔컴�                  읕컴좔컴좔컴�

To see the 1st I.F. response on its own, to tune it up, temporally remove the
connections to the 2nd IF filter & bypass it with a bridging 1nF cap.
        _   _   _                         . 
�      / \./ \./ \            �         /" "\
�     |           |           �        |     |
�    �             �          �       �       �
�   |               |         �      |         |
�_./       3MHz      \._      �____./  1.5MHz   \.__
읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴      읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴

Once the 1st IF is reduced then the number of signals reaching the 2nd mixer
are greatly reduced & hence this reduces the amount of unwanted distortions &
close in mixing products being displayed.

2nd MIXER.
This uses a NE602 osc & a balanced Gilbert cell mixer (used unbalanced) with
similar internal circuit to that of the MC3356 RF part, it run on its own +6V
regulator & RF decoupled. Mixer gain is about 17dB.

+6v컫컴컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컫컴컴컴컫컴컴�
   ===   8t �,/\      �      *�   === 10n
 1n_�_  5mm (|        �8     430  _�_
  ////     /(|   6旼컴좔컴�   �  ////
    134.4MHz쳐컴컴�       �4  �       to 10.7MHz
       3p9 ===   7�   NE  쳐컴좔컴컴�>ceramic
145MHz      쳐컴컴�  602  �          filter 
IF >컴캑쳐컴)컴컴캑       �
      1n    �    1읓컴쩡컫�               * see /11 for value
           ===     �2 �3 �5
        6p8 �   1n=== � ===1n
  컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컨컴좔컨컴컴컴컴�

N.B. as with 1st osc, an accidental earth on pin 7 will destroy the osc PNP.

10/ The VHF oscillator in the 602 should be run on a lower frequency (core "in"
position) than the 1st I.F. this is to reduce spurious images. eg 10.7MHz 2nd
IF needs 134.3MHz, (or a 6MHz I.F. needs 139MHz). Due to the ferrite core this
osc is susceptible to changes in magnetic fields, so mains transformer flux can
be a problem for zoomed in stability.

2nd I.F. FILTER
11/ The 2nd mixer's output has in internal pull up of 1K5 to so get 330� source
impedance for the filter a 430� on pin 4 determines the 2nd I.F. filter source
impedance. (This is not applicable to the Mark 2 with narrow filter option)


�    .------.                �      _._
�    |      |                �     /   \
�    � COMM �                �    |     |
�   | Filter |               �   |       |
�_./   50KHz  \._            �_./         \._
읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�        읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�
 Correctly terminated          Mis Terminated
    RINGY FILTER            sweep friendly filter

If the filters are deliberately mismatched they can give a better analyser
friendly "rounded peak response" rather than the flat topped ringy edges of
communication filters. To find the best values for your filters use small 1K
presets to source & terminate the filters to see this effect, find the optimum
value for best IF shape & then replace the presets with nearest fixed values.

               +12v컫컴컴컫컴컴컴컴커
                   === u1 �   IF    �
          +6v      _�_    �   AMP  470
2nd  Pin 8<캑     ////  220K   _____�
Mixer      430            �  �/     �
602  Pin 4>컨커   旼컴컴컴좔캑 T1   �   旼컴커   旼컴쩡컴컴�>Pin 7  To
     Pin     _�_ _�_         �\e   _�_ _�_  _�_ _�_ 330             MC3356
      3      旼컴컴�     BFX90 �   旼컴컴�  旼컴컴�  쳐컴컴�>Pin 9  Log
      � 50KHz읕컴컴�          100  읕컴컴�  읕컴컴�  읕늘컫�>Pin 8  Detector
      � 10.7 컴컫컴�          VAR  컴컫컴�  컴컫컴�      ===
    컴좔컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컴컴컴컨컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컨컴컴컴컴컴좔>Pin 19
            1st filter             2nd     Wide filter

Adjust the 100� preset for the optimum noise floor that can just be seen.
  
12/ Adding an inter filter buffer stage using a single transistor T1 adds some
preset gain for setting the overall noise floor of the analyser, as sell as
matching into a 2nd filter. This filter is terminated by the input load on the
detector 330R. Two 50KHz 10.7MHz ceramic filters provide a reasonable
compromise of selectivity for sweeping 0-80MHz @ 50Hz without too much ringing
distorting & loss of the peaks levels (up to 10dB) while still looking good in
close sweeps. However a 3rd filter was put in tandem with the 2nd filter to
clean up poor filter skirt rejection of my particular narrow filters @ 7MHz!


In part 3.. Log Detector, Power supply, Sync flyback Blanking, & Sweep 5 stage
sweep ramp correction.


Why don't U send an interesting bul?

73 de John G8MNY @ GB7CIP 




Read previous mail | Read next mail


 10.11.2026 09:32:24lGo back Go up