2019-06-18

Microwave Parts and Modules, Part 1: Old 10GHz Stuff.

Lately, I have purchased a fair amount of microwave components and (PCB) modules, as well as some stuff I have had for a long time, before I moved back to Denmark.
Unfortunately I may not have brought everything (I now want to use) with me, so it was time to take stock of what I have available.
I have already written some posts about the 10GHz HB100 module, and that should result in some wideband FM equipment at some stage.

Last week I ordered some surplus boards from rf-microwaves.it .
Along with that some bonus parts were in the package, some of them not yet identified, so I have more to sort out.

First stage was a box with some old 10GHz parts. Some of those were not really suitable for 10GHz, waveguides (WG) too big or too small, but here is a list of some useable stuff:

Two small horns (probably 15dBi) and a slightly larger one (probably near 20dBi) fit a WG17/WR75 waveguide, as does a slightly larger one. Both appear to be made from PCB material, and all have a WR75 flange.
Two horn antennas (probably about 15dBi) with WR90 flanges.

A bit of WR90 waveguide material, e.g. some twisted WG with flanges.

a DRO with a WR75 flange. This is built into the casing for an older LNB, and there could be enough space for building a 10GHz power amplifier, up to a few 100s of milliwatts.

3 old single band LNBs with WR75 flanges. those could most likely be used as a preamplifier for a separate receiver. If the DRO in it can be frequency locked, it may be possible to use it as a simple converter for narrow band, maybe for an experiment with a "local rain scatter" monitor with a horn pointing up into the sky.
Maybe, with another PCB, it could be used as a 30-50mW amplifier for a transmitter.
If nothing else, it may be used as a coax-to-WG transition. A bit of matching with a screw or two may be needed for that.

If I got it back to Denmark at the move, I may find some more old 10GHz stuff, like:
- a simple tiny WG/horn with a Gunn oscillator, another small horn with a detector diode
- some Doppler Gunn modules with a tiny, tiny horn antenna.
- some Gunn oscillator/detector with small horn antennas, probably 10dBi
- one or two Gunn/detector modules without  horn antenna, but with a flange.
- I seem to recall a small double-horn Doppler module.
Some of this would probably be useable for making coax-to-WG transitions, if I can find it.
All this may have been discarded at the move, but it may also be inaccessible at this time, due to a major reorganization (well slowly tidying up) in the big shed.

I am - slowly - finding more radio stuff after the move, so I may still find this, exactly.

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