7/20/2014 UHF-Satcom.

com - 137MHz LNA for WXSAT

http://www.uhf-satcom.com/misc/wxsatpre/ 1/3
UHF-Satcom.com - 137MHz LNA for
WXSAT (17/02/2012 22:28:45 -0000)
Here is a design for an easy to build LNA for the 137MHz satellite band. Looking at the pictures, you can see
views of the completed preamplifier - SO239 sockets were used as at 137MHz it's not too critical. The housing
that the preamp is built the into came from an old Marconi LNB, as did most of the components. The circuit
diagram is included below.
To build this preamp, firstly cut some double sided PCB to a size that would fit into the case you have selected.
Bolt this in and drill the holes for the input and output connectors, and one for the variable capacitor. Next, fit the
two sockets and the variable capacitor. The input inductor is made from the earth wire from 2.5mm twin-and-
earth mains cable, and it's 10 turns on a 6mm former, with the input being tapped at turn 3 or 4. The end of the
inductor nearest the input socket is connected to ground, whilst the other end is connected to the non-ground
side of the variable capacitor, thus forming a parallel resonant circuit.
Next is the difficult part - mounting the gasfet. To do this, firstly, about 5mm in front of the variable capacitor, tin
the PCB - use some soldering flux if necessary. Next, get a couple of suitable chip caps - use 1000pf's caps as
they can be salvaged from the Marconi LNB board. Stand these so one end is soldered to ground and the other
end is floating. Mount them about 5mm apart, and also fit a 100 Ohm chip resistor across one of the capacitors.
Find a suitable gasfet, again use one from the input stage of the Marconi LNB, and fit this across the chip caps.
Solder the two source leads to the tops of the chip capacitors and chip resistor.
Next, take a piece of fine wire about 10cm long and solder one end to the PCB to ground it. Solder the other
end to the gate leg of the gasfet - being careful with the soldering iron so as not to fry the gasfet either with high
temperatures or static. Next, arrange the thin wire such that it contacts the top of the variable capacitor and
solder. Remove the excess wire and desolder the other end.
An output transformer has to be wound, so using some thin wire around .3mm, find a ferrite core preferably a
T37 type and wind 12 turns on it. Look at the circuit diagram to determine how to wire it correctly. The purpose
of this ferrite is to feed DC to the gasfet, and RF to the output connector.
You'll probably notice that there is a T attenuator in the output chain - this was to prevent overload into the
receiver. It's around 4dB with the component values suggested. The power supply section is a bog-standard
7/20/2014 UHF-Satcom.com - 137MHz LNA for WXSAT
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7805 regulator and a pot is included to set the drain voltage / current. In this design, power is fed up the coax
from the WXSAT receiver to the preamp, hence the input RFC.
(below) component side of 137MHz LNA
(below) connector side of 137MHz LNA
7/20/2014 UHF-Satcom.com - 137MHz LNA for WXSAT
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