[NLRS] Instrumentation Amp Help

[Donn Baker - WA2VOI/0]

Hi John.
No personal knowledge, so this is just an opinion....
Should be good for 5GHz and below, but a couple words of warning:
**They are hot (lots of gain) at lower frequencies... could be hard to keep from oscillating at VHF/UHF with typical 
"dead-bug" construction.  (Note that's NOT the same as "unconditionally stable" as indicated in the data sheet.)  This 
implies the need for good layout and maybe even printed circuits.  With 2 right-angles in the signal path, layout is 
even more important.  (See the ERA and MSA packages, which are straight-thru.  Some ERAs are spec'd to 8GHz and work 
beyond 10GHz with reduced gain.  At least part of that is the package.)
** I suspect they have to be well grounded with lots of ground pad size for heatsink area due to the power output.

But, the price is right for output devices.  Not so good for receive with 4+ dB NF.

73 Donn
WA2VOI/0


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <tosca005 at umn.edu>
To: "NLRS" <NLRS at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 7:35 PM
Subject: Re: [NLRS] Instrumentation Amp Help


>
>
> Any opinions on the GALI-84 or the GVA-84 ? They look like DC-6000 MHz monolithic amplifiers good for around 100 mW 
> output and fairly simple support circuitry from the app notes on DigiKey's web site, but I know nothing else about 
> them. And a price tag under $5 each in quantity of 1.
>
> http://www.minicircuits.com/products/amplifiers_monolithic.html
>
> John, W0JT
>
> On Oct 24 2008, Donn Baker - WA2VOI/0 wrote:
>
>> HI Zack. That's a shame, although not unexpected, as it was a real steal at $40. Its still a good deal at $75, 
>> though. The active part, the HELA-10B requires some other parts most notably the input and output transformers. Its 
>> not a simple MMIC like the ERA or MAR series parts.
>>
>> Oh, well. At least I was smart enough (read, lucky) to get a couple when I could.
>>
>>73 Donn
>>WA2VOI/0
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>From: "Zack Widup" <w9sz.zack at gmail.com>
>>To: "Donn Baker - WA2VOI/0" <wa2voi at mninter.net>
>>Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 3:24 PM
>>Subject: Re: [NLRS] Instrumentation Amp Help
>>
>>
>>> Looks like the TB-17 has gone up in price. The Minicircuits website shows it at $75 now.
>>>
>>> Better might be the HELA-10B at $20 each.
>>>
>>> 73, Zack W9SZ
>>>
>>> On Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 9:33 AM, Donn Baker - WA2VOI/0
>>> <wa2voi at mninter.net>wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 'Morning, Phil. Take a look at the Mini-Circuits TB-17, which is an HELA-10 part, mounted on a board, with all 
>>>> parts needed to complete the amplifer. +12 in, SMA in and out. When I bought the ones I have they were $40 each. 1W 
>>>> out (forget the max input, but on the order of 10 mW), flat 50 MHz to 1000 MHz and usable to 1300 with reduced 
>>>> power output. Without a doubt the best buy out there.
>>>>
>>>> Mini-Circuits web site should have all the data sheets, etc.
>>>>
>>>> 73 Donn
>>>> WA2VOI/0
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Lefever" <plefever at isd.net>
>>>> To: <nlrs at mailman.qth.net>
>>>> Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 6:24 AM
>>>> Subject: [NLRS] Instrumentation Amp Help
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm wondering if anyone here could help with a project.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm in need of some form of an amplifier that could take an input from a signal generator and increase that to 
>>>>> something like a couple hundred milliwatts. The range of frequencies would ideally be from say 1 Mhz to the low 
>>>>> microwaves, but from 50 to 500 Mhz would be usable. It would even be acceptable to split that range into the four 
>>>>> amateur bands if need be.
>>>>>
>>>>> So for those more familiar with RF design then I, are there any components (like a MMIC) that could do this job 
>>>>> fairly simply? The goals would be reasonable linearity and fairly flat frequency response. Several stages would be 
>>>>> acceptable if needed.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks & 73,
>>>>>
>>>>> Phil Lefever, KB0NES
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> NLRS mailing list
>>>>> NLRS at mailman.qth.net
>>>>> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/nlrs
>>>>>
>>>>
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>>
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