Nooelec SAWbird+ H1 Barebones - Premium SAW Filter & Cascaded Ultra-Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) Module for Hydrogen Line (21cm) Applications. 1420MHz Center Frequency

SAWbird+ H1 is a self-contained LNA module designed for hydrogen line applications at 1.42GHz. It has a very high attenuation outside of the 65MHz bandpass region, centered near 1.42GHz, and a minimum of 40dB of gain at the frequency of interest. Nominal current draw is 120mA.

The SAWbird+ H1 Barebones has a special feature which will not appear on the SAWbird+ H1--an RF switch connected to a 50 ohm reference. The switch is controlled through the 4-pin, 0.1" header. This feature can be very useful for calibration, but increases the noise figure to ~1.05dB.

The SAWbird+ series contains 2 ultra-low-noise LNAs sandwiched around a custom-designed, high-performance SAW filter centered at the frequency of interest. Each LNA module has an EMI shield to separate the LNAs from external interference. There are also M3 mounting holes available to mount the PCB in your custom enclosure or project with standard hardware.

Each module allows for 3 different power options, but you should only power with one option at any given time! The recommended power input through the SMA output port (for bias-tee capable SDRs like the NESDR SMArTee XTR) is 3V-5V DC. Alternatively, if you don't have a bias-tee capable SDR, 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. 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, it is not recommended for long-term usage. Kindly note that damage resulting from overvoltage conditions would not be covered under the standard 1 year warranty.

It is important to note that some SDRs would have their ESD protection diode tripped by the LNA when powered externally. You can still use the LNA with these SDRs of course, but you would need to install a DC block between the LNA and SDR. This can be as simple as a low-distortion, high-quality capacitor in series with the RF path, should you prefer a DIY solution.