2007 Status of Progress Towards a 77-78 GHz Amateur Amplifier

摘要

Last year (Microwave Update 2006) I reported on progress, giving a short background on the 4 millimeter amateur band, activity, propagation, and the selection of the UMS CHA-1077 part. Please read that report if you have not already, as it gives a complete background for the project. The CHA 1077 is both a first rate LNA with a noise temperature at 530 Kelvin or below (4.5 dB) and a great low power amplifier, with a +10 dBm P_()sat. Given a likely 0.5 dB loss on the input probe and match, the best we can expect from a pair of these MMICs is a 630 Kelvin (or lower) noise temperature (5.0 dB or lower noise figure), about 28 dB of small signal gain (enough to set the noise figure for any reasonable mixer) and plenty of output power for DX class terrestrial activity and drive level appropriate for EIK (extended interaction klystron) power amplifiers.