The Eden Project

Ron Taylor G4GXO

Cumbria Designs
 project objectives
Develop technical and constructional skills
Be suitable for all abilities across the club
Produce something useful
 outline requirements
70MHz Transceiver, 1 watt PEP minimum output
Bare bones design with scope for later enhancement
Modular, flexible design with good performance
Simple to operate
Staged construction
Scratch built directly onto copper laminate no PCB
Built using basic tools and a meter
 technical solution
70MHz SSB Transceiver
Single conversion filter type, USB only
Modular design
Bi-lateral circuitry where practicable to minimise component count
Single VFO tuning, options for synthesiser, VXO or PLL Local Osc
Manual IF gain with later option to add AGC (potential PIC project)
Use of SA602 active mixer/oscillators in back end to reduce stages
Single stage IF amplifier
Diode Ring mixer (scratch built)
Loudspeaker output volume
block schematic
 receiver sensitivity
Power

-174dBm Thermal Noise Power in a 1Hz bandwidth

 receiver sensitivity
Power

-140dBm
Increase in noise power seen through 2.5kHz
bandwidth of IF filter +34dB

-174dBm Thermal Noise Power in a 1Hz bandwidth

 block schematic

F1
F2 F3 F4
G1
G2 G3 G4

F5
G5

Noise Factor F = F1 + (F2-1) + (F3-1) + (F4-1) +

. G1 G1G2 G1G2G3
 block schematic

NF +5dB
G +10dB NF +7dB NF +4dB
G -7dB G -4dB

NF +5dB
G +14dB

NF +5dB
G +20dB

F = 3.16 + 0.4 + 1.08 + 0.03 + 0.004 = 4.67

Noise Figure (dB) 10log10 4.67 = 6.7dB

 receiver sensitivity
Power

-133dBm Noise Floor

Receiver Noise Figure +7dB (noise contribution)
-140dBm
Increase in noise power seen through 2.5kHz
bandwidth of IF filter +34dB

-174dBm Thermal Noise Power in a 1Hz bandwidth

 receiver sensitivity
Power

-123dBm
Signal to Noise Ratio for readable SSB +10dB
-133dBm Noise Floor
Receiver Noise Figure +7dB (noise contribution)
-140dBm
Increase in noise seen through 2.5kHz bandwidth
of IF filter +34dB

-174dBm Thermal Noise Power in a 1Hz bandwidth

 receiver sensitivity
An SSB signal with an input power to the
Power receiver of -123dBm will be readable

-123dBm is equivalent to an input signal

voltage of 0.16uV across 50 Ohms

-123dBm
Signal to Noise Ratio for readable SSB +10dB
-133dBm Noise Floor
Receiver Noise Figure +7dB (noise contribution)
-140dBm
Increase in noise seen through 2.5kHz bandwidth
of IF filter +34dB

-174dBm Thermal Noise Power in a 1Hz bandwidth

mixer, IF and audio stages
mixer, IF and audio stages
mixer, bi-lateral amplifier and
crystal filter
IF amplifier, product detector and
receive audio stages
microphone amplifier and
modulator
mixer, bi-lateral amplifier and
crystal filter
RF stage and 70MHz filter
RF stage and 70MHz filter
construction
 construction
Staged Construction
Each stage about 1 hour to assemble
Around 9 hours max to complete the IF module
Start with receiver audio stages and work towards
mixer
Once receive side working, add transmit section
Build at comfortable pace
Group construction sessions led by experienced
constructors
construction
construction
construction
construction
construction
local oscillator
 local oscillator
Two options

Si570 synthesiser Or Phase Locked VFO

High degree of functionality Basic VFO functionality
Low phase noise Through hole parts
Surface Mount Devices Low cost
Expensive parts Easy to construct and modify
PCB recommended
Si570 synthesiser
Si570 synthesiser
Si570 synthesiser
 phase locked VFO
VFO Phase VCO RF Out
Detector 81.5MHz
1.5MHz 81.5MHz

1.5MHz

80MHz

Mixer
phase locked VFO
phase locked VFO
receiver performance
 receiver performance
Measured Results

Sensitivity 10dB (S+N)/N -127dBm (0.1uV)

MDS -136dBm (0.04uV)
Noise Figure 4dB
Image Rejection 70dB (11.0592MHz IF)
Sideband Suppression -50dB (mid pass band)
the route onward
 the route onward
Simple PA strip at least 1W pep output
4 stage bipolar/FET design
 the route onward
Simple PA strip at least 1W pep output
4 stage bipolar/FET design

AGC system
Audio derived
 the route onward
Simple PA strip at least 1W pep output
4 stage bipolar/FET design

AGC system
Audio derived
Standard full wave scheme (high component
count!)
OR
Microprocessor based 8 pin PIC12F683
 microprocessor AGC system
Full wave audio AGC generator in an 8 pin DIP package
Treat as a subsystem (like SL1626 etc) or use as an
opportunity to develop new skills in code writing and PIC
programming
 microprocessor AGC system
Full wave audio AGC generator in an 8 pin DIP package
Treat as a subsystem (like SL1626 etc) or use as an
opportunity to develop new skills in code writing and PIC
programming

Risk Benefit
This is new ground! If it works, the AGC hardware
will be very simple.
Not aware of this approach
being used elsewhere. The technique offers a new
avenue for skills
development.
 microprocessor AGC system

+5v PIC12F683
Controls
AF In Hang
Full Wave Attack and Decay
Detection Time Constants Fast/Slow
A to D And
Noise Filtering AGC Value Mute

AGC Voltage
Internal Clock
PWM Generator
8MHz
questions