Nooelec SAWbird NOAA - Premium LNA and SAW Filter for Weather Satellite Applications. 137MHz Center Frequency, 20dB Gain

SAWbird NOAA is a self-contained LNA module designed for capturing beautiful weather images available from NOAA and Meteor-M2 satellites at ~137MHz. It has a minimum of 20dB of gain within the passband region centered around 137.5MHz, and a very high out-of-band attenuation. This, along with its miniscule noise figure of ~0.7dB, ensures optimum performance with nearly any compatible application.

Each module allows for 3 different power options: biastee, USB and DC barrel connector. The recommended voltage to apply through the SMA output port (for bias-tee capable SDRs like the NESDR SMArTee) is 3V-5V DC. As the current consumption is only ~80mA, SAWbird NOAA is compatible with most SDR biastee circuits. Alternatively, if you don't have a biastee capable SDR, or if your SDR or radio cannot provide sufficient power, you can use the external power options through the microUSB port or the power input header (female 0.1" header). The recommended external power input is 3.3V-5.5V DC. Note that you should only power with one of these options at any given time.

Though there is protection circuitry on the SAWbird for overvoltage conditions, and voltages of up to 12V DC should still work and will not damage the device, this is not recommended for long-term usage. Kindly note that damage resulting from overvoltage conditions would not be covered under the standard 2 year warranty.

An EMI shield is installed to separate the sensitive LNA from external interference. There are also M3 mounting holes available on the PCB to facilitate mounting with standard hardware in a separate custom enclosure or project.