[Shameless self-plug for a holiday project that I hope to continue...]
Channel page:
hereWebsite:
http://sebholzapfel.com/(Will update this post with latest installments at the top):
Rapid Prototyping RF Filters with Tape & QUCSA guide to simulating microstrip filters in QUCS and prototyping them with copper tape on blank FR4 sheets.
These super-cheap materials are good up to a couple gigahertz, as you'll see in the video.
Following a quick real-time demonstration, I simulate and build 2 microstrip filters, a 1GHz stepped-impedance LPF, and a 10GHz end-coupled BPF.
14GHz Mixer Build & ExperimentsBuilding a mixer based on the LTC5548 14GHz MMIC by LT, and a TCM1-83X+ by Mini-Circuits [plus bonus bodge wires
]
After measuring LO leakage, conversion loss and IIP3 at different frequencies, I build a poor-man's tracking generator with it.
I also talk (perhaps a bit too much) about HP's old signal identifier feature on my 8555A.
Design files are available at my other web page on this:
http://sebholzapfel.com/2-14ghz-mixer-pcb-open-hardware/An article I did on the PLL is here:
http://sebholzapfel.com/14ghz-rf-synthesizer-pcb-experiments/My other videos so far:
Vintage Crystal Oscillator Teardown & ExperimentsIn this video I take apart an 80s-era crystal oscillator (yes, might not class as vintage for some of you out there, but it's still older than me
)
I pulled it out of a decommissioned Non-Directional Beacon.
I make some initial frequency measurements before taking it apart, and then after ripping out the crystal I run it through a tracking generator to look for resonance peaks.
Interestingly the crystal seems to operate at a slightly different frequency to what's written on the OCXO packaging, and the 'big' crystal package actually has a small one buried inside. If anyone has any ideas as to why this might be, let me know!
JDS6600 Function Generator Review & Teardown (some may have already seen this as I posted it in the thread for that instrument alongside some more detailed measurements in the TEQ forum)
I take a detailed look at a cheap $100 function generator that came out recently, from JunCe Instruments.
Measuring amplitudes, checking harmonic distortion, making some funky waveforms, and seeing what's inside!
Looking at the 25MHz model in this review.
There are a few things I'd still like to test (PC connectivity and measurement capability for example)
Dumpster Lab PSU Repair (This was actually the first video I tried making so the footage is a bit dodgy in spots where I'm still learning how to use the camera)
I repair an old APLAB ZD3203 DC Lab Power Supply that I rescued from the dumpster.
It had 2 big issues, one with extremely dodgy pots and another with output transients when turning it off.
Please let me know what you think!
Cheers,
vk2seb.