L-Band Setup with Mini LNA4ALL and Mini Patch Antenna

Over on his YouTube channel Adam 9A4QV has uploaded a new video showing reception of L-band signals with a bias tee powered LNA4ALL and a small patch antenna. The video seems to show a new miniature bias tee powered LNA4ALL device that Adam might be working on. The LNA4ALL is a low noise amplifier that works well with our bias tee capable RTL-SDR dongles.

The patch antenna is made out of a single piece of PCB board which was made by etching out the patch pattern with masking tape. While the patch antenna is not optimal, and tested indoors, Adam is still able to receive some AERO signals.

Later in the video he compares the PCB patch against a GPS patch antenna which gets no reception. He also compares the results when two LNA4ALL’s are used in series. Using two LNA’s improves reception slightly.

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KB8UDE

I want 4 of those LNAs right now! Sweet!

Is it possible to have the bias voltage pass through so you can run two LNA, one at each end of the coax?

Justin Davis

Looks very similar to a design I did a while back. I put all the design information online if anyone would like to make it themselves. It’s based on the LNA4ALL design too (but with a different amp). Mine does pass DC through.

http://tinyrf.blogspot.com/

Jon

Can you please post the measurements for the patch antenna? Also will the amount of copper and fiberglass thickness change the design much?

Thanks.

AD5NL

This is all very exciting. I love Adam’s LNA and a coaxial one would be the ultimate in awesome.

Also, I’d love to start playing around with etchants and PCB boards to make antennas… I’m a little scared to do so because I don’t know what chemicals to use or how to use them, and that seems dangerous. Are there any good YouTube videos anyone could recommend for PCB n00bs?

KD0CQ

Mix 1 part Muriatic acid (swimming pool acid – home depot, walmart, etc) with 3 parts over the counter hydrogen peroxide. Use safety goggles, safety gloves, well ventilated area.

Trevor

It is a simple pattern. You should be able to make it by scribing with a sharp box cutter (or a silicon carbide scriber) and peel off the unwanted copper. It would be easy if the dimensions were to be posted 🙂 Pleez? 🙂 I would make mine by starting the patch a little larger and successively peeling off more copper until I get resonance on the desired satellite frequency. That should allow us to compensate for slightly different PCB dielectric constant in different batches of PCB substrate.