Splitter for receiving system?
Hello All,
I am really wishing for a "splitter" for my receiving system, good for both 2M and 70cm (so say, 144-450MHz or so.)
Any suggestions? I really don't to lose 3dB in the process, but fear the only way to avoid that is some powered/amplified system. I recall such a device, but cannot for the life of me think where or the possible source. I do not need to xmit through it; receive only. Also, I do not need to pass 12V to power preamps, etc. So, just a low loss splitter good for 2M and 70cm. SMA, BNC, N connectors--any will work in my shack.
Do folks refer to these as splitters? Combiners? Power splitters? I know about Mini Circuits--that's a sensory overload of stuff to pick through :)
Any pointers to sources or such devices will be welcomed!
Thanks---
Hi Mark,
As you already mentioned, the 3dB is just the split itself. atop of that, you will get some loss in the actual splitter. There is indeed no way around this 3dB, because thats just what happens when you split the signal into two equal parts. you can minimise the loss though. If you have a pre-amplifier with sufficient gain, you may not actually have to worry too much about this, but without one, all the decibels add up to your noise figure!
So do you have a pre-amplifier? You mentioned not having to pass 12V, but that does not mean you don't have one..;) If you have, dont worry about the power loss in the splitting process.
I am using minicircuits ZFSC-2-1, but thats just a junkbox find without selection.
Wouter PA3WEG
On Fri, Feb 6, 2015 at 2:00 PM, Mark L. Hammond [email protected] wrote:
Hello All,
I am really wishing for a "splitter" for my receiving system, good for both 2M and 70cm (so say, 144-450MHz or so.)
Any suggestions? I really don't to lose 3dB in the process, but fear the only way to avoid that is some powered/amplified system. I recall such a device, but cannot for the life of me think where or the possible source. I do not need to xmit through it; receive only. Also, I do not need to pass 12V to power preamps, etc. So, just a low loss splitter good for 2M and 70cm. SMA, BNC, N connectors--any will work in my shack.
Do folks refer to these as splitters? Combiners? Power splitters? I know about Mini Circuits--that's a sensory overload of stuff to pick through :)
Any pointers to sources or such devices will be welcomed!
Thanks---
-- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH] _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Hi Mark, no matter what you use you will lose 3 db + the splitter insertion loss. If you are putting the splitter after a LNA, then the added loss is usually not important. However, if you are putting the splitter directly between the antenna and your receiver the loss of the splitter will add directly to the receiver noise figure, which in weak signal work is the real difference between hearing and not hearing a signal.
If you can afford the 3+ dB increase in system noise figure, a plain old TV splitter is actually not bad. The outdoor variety are water tight, F-connectors are pretty good at UHF (in some ways better than a BNC). If it's RX only, RG-6 is low loss, inexpensive and the slight mis-match is not that significant.
If noise figure is important, a low gain, low noise figure amp before the splitter (which can be turned around and used as a combiner) is a good idea.
Mini-circuits are great components and have a great variety of quality RF/IF components. The only problem is that their distribution network is limited and unless you find a retail source that has what you want getting parts can be a little difficult .... and you will start getting called by the "area rep" wanting to know how many hundred you will be needing every few months :) That said, they HAVE been accomodating when I needed something that wasn't available through distribution.
- Howie, AB2S
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2015 08:00:04 -0500 From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Splitter for receiving system?
Hello All,
I am really wishing for a "splitter" for my receiving system, good for both 2M and 70cm (so say, 144-450MHz or so.)
Any suggestions? I really don't to lose 3dB in the process, but fear the only way to avoid that is some powered/amplified system. I recall such a device, but cannot for the life of me think where or the possible source. I do not need to xmit through it; receive only. Also, I do not need to pass 12V to power preamps, etc. So, just a low loss splitter good for 2M and 70cm. SMA, BNC, N connectors--any will work in my shack.
Do folks refer to these as splitters? Combiners? Power splitters? I know about Mini Circuits--that's a sensory overload of stuff to pick through :)
Any pointers to sources or such devices will be welcomed!
Thanks---
-- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH] _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Thanks everybody for the great help. I didn't describe my setup or goals very well...but lots of ideas coming in.
I have multiple SDRs in the shack now. I have a 2M array with low noise/high gain preamp and 70cm array with low noise/high gain preamp that I use for receive only (mast mount preamps, externally powered). So, my goal is any band with any SDR, no switching or cables. Even 2 SDRs, same band, same time...so here is what I envision:
I have separate feedlines coming into the shack--one for 2M one for 70cm. Tie them together via a single diplexer. Then, the single diplexer output (carrying both 2M and 70cm) going into a splitter with multiple outputs--going to FCDPP, Airspy, whatever...with a single split, it's 3dB.
The easy and cheapest solution had occurred to me---which is use a cable/satellite TV splitter (I know, 75 ohms). But a good idea from one of you was to get the "variable amplified" version from RadioShack or wherever. I was thinking something more "elegant" at 50 ohms might be worth while.
I'll probably try to the TV splitter and see how it works and if the loss is OK. Shouldn't be bad, given the preamps.
Anyhow, fun to chat about--thanks for all the private and public responses. Once I get a bit more time, I'll try to summarize some other suggests a little better.
73!
Mark N8MH
On Fri, Feb 6, 2015 at 10:30 AM, Howie DeFelice [email protected] wrote:
Hi Mark, no matter what you use you will lose 3 db + the splitter insertion loss. If you are putting the splitter after a LNA, then the added loss is usually not important. However, if you are putting the splitter directly between the antenna and your receiver the loss of the splitter will add directly to the receiver noise figure, which in weak signal work is the real difference between hearing and not hearing a signal.
If you can afford the 3+ dB increase in system noise figure, a plain old TV splitter is actually not bad. The outdoor variety are water tight, F-connectors are pretty good at UHF (in some ways better than a BNC). If it's RX only, RG-6 is low loss, inexpensive and the slight mis-match is not that significant.
If noise figure is important, a low gain, low noise figure amp before the splitter (which can be turned around and used as a combiner) is a good idea.
Mini-circuits are great components and have a great variety of quality RF/IF components. The only problem is that their distribution network is limited and unless you find a retail source that has what you want getting parts can be a little difficult .... and you will start getting called by the "area rep" wanting to know how many hundred you will be needing every few months :) That said, they HAVE been accomodating when I needed something that wasn't available through distribution.
- Howie, AB2S
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2015 08:00:04 -0500 From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] Splitter for receiving system?
Hello All,
I am really wishing for a "splitter" for my receiving system, good for
both
2M and 70cm (so say, 144-450MHz or so.)
Any suggestions? I really don't to lose 3dB in the process, but fear the only way to avoid that is some powered/amplified system. I recall such a device, but cannot for the life of me think where or the possible source. I do not need to xmit through it; receive only. Also, I do not need to pass 12V to power preamps, etc. So, just a low loss splitter good for 2M and 70cm. SMA, BNC, N connectors--any will work in my shack.
Do folks refer to these as splitters? Combiners? Power splitters? I know about Mini Circuits--that's a sensory overload of stuff to pick through
:)
Any pointers to sources or such devices will be welcomed!
Thanks---
-- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH] _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
Opinions expressed
are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
AMSAT-NA.
Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (3)
-
Howie DeFelice -
Mark L. Hammond -
Wouter Weggelaar