A proper single transistor LNA for HF

Note: This HF LNA design is inspired by PY2OHH designs and mcHF work. Previous article: Single Transistor LNA for HF - it cut a corner when it came to output impedance matching ;) The idea that a single-transistor-preamp with 10 dB gain is more than enough for HF comes from Gajendra Kumar (VU2BGS). As a new "designer" I am often overwhelmed by the different possible design paths - so having guidance from an elmer becomes crucial. ...

October 28, 2025 · 1 min · 202 words · Dhiru Kholia

Notes on coupled inductors

The usage of ready-made coupled inductors in RF designs was pioneered by Jim Veatch in his award-winning RF amplifier designs. For Baby-QRO applications, we can use Wurth 744851330 coupled inductor. For 5W / 10W RF amplifier applications, we can use Bourns SRF1260A-4R7Y coupled inductor. Recently we were able to utilize very cost-effective YJYCOIN YPRH1207C-4R7M Chinese coupled inductor with excellent results. With our current Digital Amplifier designs, this Chinese coupled inductor works even at ~75 MHz. ...

August 17, 2025 · 1 min · 84 words · Dhiru Kholia