BU500 UpConverter by HiDes Taiwan

1st Official Post

    13cm UP converter for all modes of operation, here are a few tests and pictures. Version v6 just in the market.....


    New version of already known BU500 is ready for deliver at HiDes. calvin@hides.com.tw


    ....and so looks from already installed in housing with heat sink


    What has been improved compared to the last Version ?


    1. Schönere HF Spectrum - bessere LO Freq. Unterdrückung Nicer HF Spectrum - better LO Freq. suppression
    2. Höhere Ausgangsleistung , bis 2W in SSB mode Higher output power, up to 2W in SSB mode
    3. Höhere IF Input Leistung 100mW higher IF Input power 100mW now
    4. Externe 10MHz Clock Input
    5. Verpolungsschutz Reverse polarity protection
    6. Betriebsspannung wurde erhöht, Schaltnetzteil ausgetauscht Operating voltage has been increased, Switching power supply replaced


    1W - Output spectrum with 70cm IF input Signal and LO freq. 1968,0 MHz( with 70cm and 23cm IF no necessary Bandpass Filter between UPconverter and PA )  



    LO signal on the output port... with 2m 70cm and 23cm IF input signal


    More output power....


    Higher attenuation value built-in to allow higher IF input power...






    Input port for extern 10MHz Clock signal...        ....and how can I switch from internal TCXO to external 10MHz clock signal ?

    Data....

    Input: 100MHz......1350MHz version 100mW for SSB and -15dBm for ATV

    Output: 2365MHz.....2500MHz SSB up to 2W DATV 200mW

    Local Oscilator: free programable in 1kHz step 1050MHz....2600MHz TK2ppm ( -20°..... +70°C )

    Vcc: 9V....16V max. 1Amper


    Tested by OE7DBH


    Available on the fair Ham Radio 2019 in Friedrichshafen-Germany , hall 3 table D039

    JA Flo , es ist möglich ( wie du in OE7 forum sehen kannst ...Beitrag 21.11.2017 )

    aber das sollst du selber oder jemand andere mit guten SMD löt kentnisen machen.

    Danach hast in SSB-CW mode über 1,5W output ....BU500 braucht aber auch zusätzlich ein kleines Lüfter.

    Hello all,


    I do have this new V06 version in operation and I am a happy user.


    As IF-Exciter I use 50 MHz from a KX3, running 100mW plus a 10dB step attenuator. With the previous Version*, I had full output of the LO frequency of 2350 MHZ even with no IF signal injected. Now, with the new version, the LO is sufficiently suppressed so that it does not produce any visible output on the smallPA behind the BU500. Just to be on the safe side, I do use an interdigital filter specifically built and aligned with a deep 90dB notch at 2350 MHz (made by ID-Elektronik).



    Best 73


    Holger 'Geri', DK8KW


    *) I mechanically damaged the previous B500-version when I attempted to drill a separate hole in the little housing. It is now sitting on my shelf waiting to be repaired ...

    I am a beginner here and hope to be able to make SSB contacts at some point. I have ordered the BU500 and notice in some of the information that the reference can either be 10MHz or 26MHz. I was wondering if there is any option to select other standards. I have a 5MHz crystal oven style frequency standard that was used for quasi-sync PMR systems at UHF and would like to use that. I guess if not I could add a frequency doubler to go from 5 to 10 MHz. The 5 MHz standards crop up quite often.


    Adrian

    G8UGD
    Hi Adrian. If it helps...The internal heating of the BU500 is fairly low, so for SSB or CW the internal oscillator is very good. - Way better than the TCXO issues at 10GHz on the downlink. There is some supplied software for changing the LO frequency used, but as I recall the options for a reference are either 'internal' or '10MHz'.
    However, it may be worth looking at the manual just in case 5MHz is possible.

    OK, I had assumed there would be some drift over time, otherwise they would not included the external port. For RX I would initially be relying on the SDR console locking to the beacon to remove the LNB drift, all guesswork until I actually get the unit and try it.

    The 5MHz oscillator I have has a spec of <=2 x 10-9ppm over -30 to +70 degree C, which I believe is better then most of the small TXCO's. Awaiting a MHL1336 and hope to provide a small 3 watt type amp and see if the will suffice.


    Hope to meet up on air!


    Adrian

    Hello,


    I'm helping my friend to operate from Macedonia and he has a problem with BU500.

    His upconverter permannetly having some power on output so when connected with wifi booster

    see the 1W output and the output power from PA didn't change a lot if press PTT on transceiver.

    Then I think the wifi PA amplify signal 2256MHz if no signal from transceiver?


    Question how the other having connected together wifi PA and BU500 any proposal please

    SWL-JanV: I can confirm what DB8TF writes. I use 50 MHz as an IF, so the 2350 MHz signal of my older type BU500 had the same problem. I ordered an interdigital filter from ID-Elektronik (I am not very good doing precise mechanical work). The filter has a 90dB notch at the L.O. frequency of 2350 MHz and the problem disappeared.


    Meanwhile (after mechanically damaging the old-type BU500, trying to drill some holes into the housing) I ordered a new one (Version 6) and the problem disappeared. Nevertheless I keep the interdigital filter in the signal path, between the BU500 and my PA, just in case.



    Best 73


    Holger ‚Geri‘, DK8KW

    More than 1.7 watt continuous wave at a maximum of 42 ° C heat sink temperature ----> without fan and over 2 hours long.

    YES that is possible with improved cooling. Actually, with good antenna for QO-100 , no additional amplifier is necessary.

    >1,7W in mode: SSB CW FM FMATV digital , 200~250mW in DVB mode

    The new version with better cooling allows you to get the full power out of the BU500 ( >1,7W ) for a long time. At my test from cold start time to 2 hours later, the power has dropped from 2.05W to 1.96W ( just over 4%, with normal heat sink version power loss is >10% ) At room temperature 21.6°C was two hours later heatsink without extra fan 41°C warm


    https://www.ebay.com/itm/BU-50…f078a8:g:MTwAAOSwOPldZMk9


    My BU500 arrived and I have gone a slightly different route. I have kept the original heat-sink on the unit and added another to fit. Used a thermal pad between the two, then stuck on a small fan to blow air through. I will be doing a simple analogue control for the fan to reduce the noise but it was on for over 6 hours yesterday with no noticeable increase in temp to the touch.

    I was surprised at the output power and the meter has been set for full scale at two watts. Although the local oscillator leakage is not bad it is there, so I have re-tuned a 2500 to 2690MHz filter I picked up from a rally to cover 2.4GHz. It has a low end notch of around -70 dB on the LO output. It appears to be spectrally clean on my old analyzer so I am happy with that. I had one contact on air last night and it seemed to be fine.

    This got me thinking so I have just done a test without and with the BPF. It is not the local osc that is coming through, but with injection freq of 144Mhz you are also getting an output of -40dB of LO -144Mhz also seem to be getting the output frequency of 2400 + twice 144 MHz, see below.


    First pic is without the filter and the second with the filter.


    Sorry they are a bit blurry as taken with phone camera.


    Vertical is 10 dB per division and horizontal is 100MHz per division centred on 2400MHz. So the trace is going between 1900Mhz to 2900MHz

    Test set up is probably not the best, but using output from a 30 dB direction coupler to a 50 Ohm load with a further 20dB on the analyzer input to ensure I am not overloading. In the first picture you can see a small amount of Wi-Fi breakthrough as I have an extender within 1 metre of the gear.


    So I would always use a BPF no matter what.

    The latest model of the BU500 has a detection of the input signal from the transmitter. At no input the LO is switched off.


    You should always use a 2.4G band pass filter between the output of the BU500 and the power amp, independently of the used LO frequency. A notch for the LO as well will be the ultimative solution.


    Mike

    As far as I can tell the LO is not switched but always running, I have seen no mention of this function in my user documentation and I have a new unit?


    But yes the instructions do mention using a notch and BPF in all examples and the lower the input frequency then the tighter the BPF will need to be.