Author Topic: Digital TV antena booster  (Read 9535 times)

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Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Digital TV antena booster
« on: September 20, 2016, 01:08:57 pm »
Hello guys, I searched for a simple tv signal booster and I found a circuit, it was written this circuit is for 3-900 MHz amplifier with 20 db gain, after two weeks of trial Finally I failed because after installing device between antenna and tv there is no signal, my circuit is here please take a look at it and help me what is wrong please.
Parts:
R1 = 120 Ohm (brown, red, brown)
R2 = 1,5 KOhm (brown, green, red)
R3 = 270 Ohm (red, violet, brown)
R4 = 82 KOhm (gray, red, orange)
C1,C5 = 100pF (ceramic)
C2,C3 = 1nF (ceramic)
C4 = 2,2pF (ceramic)
D1,D2 = 1N4148 diode
Transistor = BFR90, BFR91, BFW92
Misc = PCB, 6pins, solder, 9V battery clip
L1,2:diameter : 5mm
wire thickness : 0,5mm
turns : 8
Input 4 and ground
Output 1 and ground
Positive pole 3
Negative pole 2
Thanks and sorry for my English.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2016, 02:38:43 pm by farzadlatifeh »
 

Offline PA0PBZ

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2016, 01:23:34 pm »
What is happening with pin 6, how is it connected to the device?

What is pin 1 supposed to do?

Do you have a picture of the completed device?
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Offline Delta

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2016, 02:02:22 pm »
With black magic RF, especially up at those frequencies, board layout is just as important as circuit design.  If you've just slapped it together as you would an audio (for example) circuit, there is next to no chance it will work.  :(
 
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Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2016, 02:43:00 pm »
What is happening with pin 6, how is it connected to the device?
What is pin 1 supposed to do?

Do you have a picture of the completed device?


Sorry my bad
Output is 1 and 6
Input is 4 and 5
« Last Edit: September 20, 2016, 02:53:13 pm by farzadlatifeh »
 

Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2016, 02:46:21 pm »
With black magic RF, especially up at those frequencies, board layout is just as important as circuit design.  If you've just slapped it together as you would an audio (for example) circuit, there is next to no chance it will work.  :(

Any suggestion?
 

Offline Chalcogenide

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2016, 02:57:22 pm »
Try AC coupling the input. If the antenna has a power feed to reach the amplifier on the roof, you will just short it to ground through the protection diodes.
 
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Offline PA0PBZ

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2016, 05:07:43 pm »
Any suggestion?

Do you have a multimeter? If yes, can you measure the supply voltage and the voltage on the base, collector and emitter of the transistor, all relative to ground (pin 2)?
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Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2016, 05:21:21 pm »
Try AC coupling the input. If the antenna has a power feed to reach the amplifier on the roof, you will just short it to ground through the protection diodes.

There is no power feed. I did not really get about AC coupling.
 

Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #8 on: September 20, 2016, 05:49:03 pm »
Any suggestion?

Do you have a multimeter? If yes, can you measure the supply voltage and the voltage on the base, collector and emitter of the transistor, all relative to ground (pin 2)?

Here Multisim simiulation data
And mine: Collector 3.12- 2.96 Base 0.85 Emitter 0

It seems there is no problem with my work
It's about circuit
« Last Edit: September 20, 2016, 05:50:57 pm by farzadlatifeh »
 

Offline PA0PBZ

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2016, 06:07:33 pm »
It seems there is no problem with my work
It's about circuit

Your DC measurements look ok, I get the same when I simulate in LTSpice.
When I do an AC measurement it amplifies the signal correctly, so maybe there is an error on the PCB?

Can you post pictures of top and bottom of the device you built?

(Edit: Why the strange component values in the simulation?)

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Offline Richard Crowley

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #10 on: September 20, 2016, 06:52:17 pm »
Did you use a PC board layout EXACTLY like the one in your photo?
VHF circuits are VERY VERY sensitive to physical configuration.
The slightest, seeming insignificant difference can kill it dead. 

Did you adjust the spacing of the coils to achieve the proper inductance?
Do you even know what the inductance values for L1 and L2 are supposed to be?

It seems rather unlikely that you will get this to work without better information.
 
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Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2016, 08:38:09 pm »
It seems there is no problem with my work
It's about circuit

Your DC measurements look ok, I get the same when I simulate in LTSpice.
When I do an AC measurement it amplifies the signal correctly, so maybe there is an error on the PCB?

Can you post pictures of top and bottom of the device you built?

(Edit: Why the strange component values in the simulation?)


Here PCB photoes
What values you mean? Capacitors? I measured their true value by multimeter and I just put them in simulator to find any problem

Could you send me print screen of your simulation with AC

Thanks
 

Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2016, 08:43:38 pm »
Did you use a PC board layout EXACTLY like the one in your photo?
VHF circuits are VERY VERY sensitive to physical configuration.
The slightest, seeming insignificant difference can kill it dead. 

Did you adjust the spacing of the coils to achieve the proper inductance?
Do you even know what the inductance values for L1 and L2 are supposed to be?

It seems rather unlikely that you will get this to work without better information.

Yes exactly I dont know about L1 and L2 true values and I just try to make a typical inductance, you can see my PCB in previous post I have just posted.
 

Offline voltz

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2016, 08:48:20 pm »
Your input and output coax shields should be connected to the PCB ground plane.
 
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Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2016, 08:57:19 pm »
Your input and output coax shields should be connected to the PCB ground plane.

I tried and I failed, there is absolutely no signal, this is the problem.in any case there should have been signal with noise or something I guess but there is nothing totally.
 

Offline voltz

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #15 on: September 20, 2016, 09:06:03 pm »
You could try and disconnect the output coax and use it as a test probe. Begin at input pin and work your way through to the output and see where the signal fails. I suspect a broken track.
 
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Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #16 on: September 20, 2016, 09:12:19 pm »
You could try and disconnect the output coax and use it as a test probe. Begin at input pin and work your way through to the output and see where the signal fails. I suspect a broken track.

I am not pro |O
Would you mind telling me how to do that? Is it possible with multimeter? It's only thing I have and I have no oscilloscope :-BROKE

Edit. I think I get what you mean, you want me to get output from other places to find the problem! Nice
Thanks
« Last Edit: September 20, 2016, 09:17:03 pm by farzadlatifeh »
 

Offline voltz

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #17 on: September 20, 2016, 09:19:47 pm »
No worries. Its quite simple really. Disconnect your output coax.. Then use the center conductor only like a probe.
Place the coax center wire (probe) at the input pin on the PCB. You should get a signal (not amplified) to your TV. Hopefully you can see a picture even if scrambled.
Then proceed along the circuit, base of transistor, collector of transistor etc.. All the way to the output pin.
Your TV should get a better signal from the collector onwards.. Any sudden loss of signal may show a break in the PCB.

Hope that helps!
 
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Offline voltz

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #18 on: September 20, 2016, 09:22:54 pm »
we replied together :)
Yes, output from other places to find the fault.
 
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Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #19 on: September 20, 2016, 09:27:03 pm »
we replied together :)
Yes, output from other places to find the fault.

Thanks bro
I'm gonna test it
Hope to find a way
 

Offline voltz

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #20 on: September 20, 2016, 09:36:12 pm »
Another point, those resistors with long leads, they should all be flat to the PCB not standing up. The correct practice in RF is to keep component leads as short as possible. I would re-solder those flat down. ( the leads act like small inductors, this can upset the circuit at high frequencies).
 
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Offline PA0PBZ

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #21 on: September 20, 2016, 09:40:26 pm »
The resistors should not stand upright on the pcb, put them flat onto the pcb so that the legs are as short as possible. Connect the coax shields to the ground track. If you are going to use the output coax to probe around the pcb put a 1nF capacitor in series with the inner conductor of the coax and use the other end of the capacitor to probe around, because you do not want to short any DC to ground.


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Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #22 on: September 20, 2016, 09:46:35 pm »
Another point, those resistors with long leads, they should all be flat to the PCB not standing up. The correct practice in RF is to keep component leads as short as possible. I would re-solder those flat down. ( the leads act like small inductors, this can upset the circuit at high frequencies).

OK I will make resistors leads flat down to PCB but it's my second PCB, the first one had short leads but still did not work
 

Offline voltz

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #23 on: September 20, 2016, 09:47:45 pm »
Fair point regarding the 1nf blocking cap. I had assumed this circuit was driven from a 9v battery and therefor floating with no possible DC path. However thinking about it, its probably driven from a PSU of some kind which may create a DC path if shorted. Thanks.
 

Offline farzadlatifehTopic starter

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Re: Digital TV antena booster
« Reply #24 on: September 20, 2016, 09:49:25 pm »
The resistors should not stand upright on the pcb, put them flat onto the pcb so that the legs are as short as possible. Connect the coax shields to the ground track. If you are going to use the output coax to probe around the pcb put a 1nF capacitor in series with the inner conductor of the coax and use the other end of the capacitor to probe around, because you do not want to short any DC to ground.

Thanks
OK I am going to flat down all resistors and use a 1nF capacitor in case of probing
Hope to find a way
 


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