Thanks for the feedback Roy, I've now got the book on order. Unfortunately
I've now blown my book budget and will need to wait a while before ordering
anything else.

James.

"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...
_Experimental Methods_ is oriented toward the advanced amateur, so you
won't find the depth and level of math you would in a college text or a
specialized text on one of the many topics covered in that book.
However, there's a lot more depth than you'll find in something like the
_ARRL Handbook_. Another thing is that the authors are all experienced
and professional engineers who've spent years doing RF design, and all
know a very great deal about the covered topics. In my opinion, only
someone with a very deep and basic understanding of the fundamentals can
accurately explain theory in an intuitive and easy to understand way.
The authors have that understanding. I have no doubt you'll be very
pleased with the book.

Re test equipment: how about devices for measuring RF power, impedance,
frequency, inductance, capacitance, Q, spectra, noise figure, and
crystal characteristics?

I don't believe there's an example of a wideband VCO. The authors
concentrate a lot on keeping phase noise low, so use other methods to
achieve wideband operation than with a wideband VCO.

If you're looking for a more theoretical treatment of oscillators and
other RF circuits, I recommend Hayward's _Introduction to Radio
Frequency Design_, now also published by the ARRL. (You might find a
used first edition, published by Wiley as I recall.) After reading the
chapter on oscillators, you'll know enough to get a good start at least
at designing your own VCO.

There are a lot of practical tips and observations about oscillators in
_Oscillator Design and Computer Simulation_ by Randall Rhea (Noble
publishing, ISBN1-884932-30-4), although in my opinion it doesn't convey
as fundamental understanding of oscillator operation as Hayward's books.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

James Fenech wrote:
Hi Roy,

thanks for the suggestion. I am considering buying this book. Can I ask
how
much theory, and how deep does it go? I am an engineer (digital
electornics
and software background) and actually like some theory to help me
understand
what I am doing.

I already have some "real" test equipment, 50MHz CRO, signal generator,
multimeter, etc. So "simple" test equipment may not be too much of an
improvement.

I've looked over the internet, and some books that I have, but found no
real
example circuit on wideband VCOs. The only "sort of close enough"
circuit I
found is at:

http://www.newwaveinstruments.com/resources/rf_microwave_resources/sections/oscillator_vco_theory_design_circuit.htm#Voltage%2 0Controled%20Oscillator%20(VCO)%20Circuits
The second one down - Colpitts. Are there any such examples in this
book?

Thanks,
James.


"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...

I highly recommend _Experimental Methods in RF Design_, by Hayward,
Cambell, and Larkin. It's published by the ARRL and available from them
and numerous other sources. Besides theory and a lot of real, practical,
tested circuits and projects, it includes simple test equipment you can
build yourself.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

James Fenech wrote:

. . .
I have the ARRL handbook (1997 or so) but this doesn't have much in the

way

of theory. Is there any other reference anyone can recommend?
. . .

You're climbing a steep hill here James. It is the % change in frequency
that is the problem. Professional spec analysers use a 2 GHz LO with a 2:1
range (to scan 0-2GHz), but I believe that is a magnetically tuned YIG
resonator. If you could get the frequency higher, so the sweep range is
narrower, then mix to the desired freq with a balanced mixer...that would be
an easier VCO design.

Steve
K;9;d;c;i

The punctuation is my feeble attempt at spam-bot blocking.


"James Fenech" wrote in message
...
Hi Roy,

thanks for the suggestion. I am considering buying this book. Can I ask
how
much theory, and how deep does it go? I am an engineer (digital
electornics
and software background) and actually like some theory to help me
understand
what I am doing.

I already have some "real" test equipment, 50MHz CRO, signal generator,
multimeter, etc. So "simple" test equipment may not be too much of an
improvement.

I've looked over the internet, and some books that I have, but found no
real
example circuit on wideband VCOs. The only "sort of close enough" circuit
I
found is at:

http://www.newwaveinstruments.com/resources/rf_microwave_resources/sections/oscillator_vco_theory_design_circuit.htm#Voltage%2 0Controled%20Oscillator%20(VCO)%20Circuits
The second one down - Colpitts. Are there any such examples in this book?

Thanks,
James.


"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...
I highly recommend _Experimental Methods in RF Design_, by Hayward,
Cambell, and Larkin. It's published by the ARRL and available from them
and numerous other sources. Besides theory and a lot of real, practical,
tested circuits and projects, it includes simple test equipment you can
build yourself.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

James Fenech wrote:
. . .
I have the ARRL handbook (1997 or so) but this doesn't have much in
the
way
of theory. Is there any other reference anyone can recommend?
. . .

_Experimental Methods_ is oriented toward the advanced amateur, so you
won't find the depth and level of math you would in a college text or a
specialized text on one of the many topics covered in that book.
However, there's a lot more depth than you'll find in something like the
_ARRL Handbook_. Another thing is that the authors are all experienced
and professional engineers who've spent years doing RF design, and all
know a very great deal about the covered topics. In my opinion, only
someone with a very deep and basic understanding of the fundamentals can
accurately explain theory in an intuitive and easy to understand way.
The authors have that understanding. I have no doubt you'll be very
pleased with the book.

Re test equipment: how about devices for measuring RF power, impedance,
frequency, inductance, capacitance, Q, spectra, noise figure, and
crystal characteristics?

I don't believe there's an example of a wideband VCO. The authors
concentrate a lot on keeping phase noise low, so use other methods to
achieve wideband operation than with a wideband VCO.

If you're looking for a more theoretical treatment of oscillators and
other RF circuits, I recommend Hayward's _Introduction to Radio
Frequency Design_, now also published by the ARRL. (You might find a
used first edition, published by Wiley as I recall.) After reading the
chapter on oscillators, you'll know enough to get a good start at least
at designing your own VCO.

There are a lot of practical tips and observations about oscillators in
_Oscillator Design and Computer Simulation_ by Randall Rhea (Noble
publishing, ISBN1-884932-30-4), although in my opinion it doesn't convey
as fundamental understanding of oscillator operation as Hayward's books.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

James Fenech wrote:
Hi Roy,

thanks for the suggestion. I am considering buying this book. Can I ask how
much theory, and how deep does it go? I am an engineer (digital electornics
and software background) and actually like some theory to help me understand
what I am doing.

I already have some "real" test equipment, 50MHz CRO, signal generator,
multimeter, etc. So "simple" test equipment may not be too much of an
improvement.

I've looked over the internet, and some books that I have, but found no real
example circuit on wideband VCOs. The only "sort of close enough" circuit I
found is at:
http://www.newwaveinstruments.com/resources/rf_microwave_resources/sections/oscillator_vco_theory_design_circuit.htm#Voltage%2 0Controled%20Oscillator%20(VCO)%20Circuits
The second one down - Colpitts. Are there any such examples in this book?

Thanks,
James.


"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...

I highly recommend _Experimental Methods in RF Design_, by Hayward,
Cambell, and Larkin. It's published by the ARRL and available from them
and numerous other sources. Besides theory and a lot of real, practical,
tested circuits and projects, it includes simple test equipment you can
build yourself.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

James Fenech wrote:

. . .
I have the ARRL handbook (1997 or so) but this doesn't have much in the

way

of theory. Is there any other reference anyone can recommend?
. . .

Ok, many of you have suggested rather than just simulation I should actually
build something. Joe (W3JDR) has kindly donated a circuit diagram which I
started off with.

Best way to get going quickly is dead bug style, soldered straight to the
copper side of a PCB. I have never used this style of construction as it
looked flimsy, but it looked like a good way to go just for prototyping.
Well, the circuit went together fast and the finished product is very
steady, so I am now a convert to this construction method! I may need a new
iron though, as the basic low power model I have struggled to heat up the
large area of board.

Firstly I built the circuit (almost) as directed, slight modifications were
made to suit parts I had. Fixed capacitors were used as this allowed
evaluation without worrying about the diodes performance. The oscillation
voltage across the tank was about 1 vp-p measured with an older 50MHz CRO
and a 1:1 probe. Oscillation seemed stable and I liked the result.

Question: I used the ARRL equation for a cylindrical inductor and seemed way
off (50%). Should I expect the copper sheet to affect the inductance, and
how.

I then replaced the fixed capacitors with BB909 (3-30pF) diodes. The result
wasn't so good. Oscillation voltage was less (lower Q tank maybe) and the
stablility seemed poor (again poor Q). I will attempt more measurements
tonight.

James.

Ok, many of you have suggested rather than just simulation I should actually
build something. Joe (W3JDR) has kindly donated a circuit diagram which I
started off with.

Best way to get going quickly is dead bug style, soldered straight to the
copper side of a PCB. I have never used this style of construction as it
looked flimsy, but it looked like a good way to go just for prototyping.
Well, the circuit went together fast and the finished product is very
steady, so I am now a convert to this construction method! I may need a new
iron though, as the basic low power model I have struggled to heat up the
large area of board.

Firstly I built the circuit (almost) as directed, slight modifications were
made to suit parts I had. Fixed capacitors were used as this allowed
evaluation without worrying about the diodes performance. The oscillation
voltage across the tank was about 1 vp-p measured with an older 50MHz CRO
and a 1:1 probe. Oscillation seemed stable and I liked the result.

Question: I used the ARRL equation for a cylindrical inductor and seemed way
off (50%). Should I expect the copper sheet to affect the inductance, and
how.

I then replaced the fixed capacitors with BB909 (3-30pF) diodes. The result
wasn't so good. Oscillation voltage was less (lower Q tank maybe) and the
stablility seemed poor (again poor Q). I will attempt more measurements
tonight.

James.

Hi Roy,

thanks for the suggestion. I am considering buying this book. Can I ask how
much theory, and how deep does it go? I am an engineer (digital electornics
and software background) and actually like some theory to help me understand
what I am doing.

I already have some "real" test equipment, 50MHz CRO, signal generator,
multimeter, etc. So "simple" test equipment may not be too much of an
improvement.

I've looked over the internet, and some books that I have, but found no real
example circuit on wideband VCOs. The only "sort of close enough" circuit I
found is at:
http://www.newwaveinstruments.com/resources/rf_microwave_resources/sections/oscillator_vco_theory_design_circuit.htm#Voltage%2 0Controled%20Oscillator%20(VCO)%20Circuits
The second one down - Colpitts. Are there any such examples in this book?

Thanks,
James.


"Roy Lewallen" wrote in message
...
I highly recommend _Experimental Methods in RF Design_, by Hayward,
Cambell, and Larkin. It's published by the ARRL and available from them
and numerous other sources. Besides theory and a lot of real, practical,
tested circuits and projects, it includes simple test equipment you can
build yourself.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

James Fenech wrote:
. . .
I have the ARRL handbook (1997 or so) but this doesn't have much in the
way
of theory. Is there any other reference anyone can recommend?
. . .

I assume your VCO has to tune 140-240MHz?? Email me directly and I'll give
you a circuit that will easily do the job. )

Joe
W3JDR


"James Fenech" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

thanks for the many responses. My use of this VCO if for a homebrew
spectrum
analyser, 0-100MHz with a 140MHz first IF. This sort of rules out doing it
in ranges - maybe?

I'm only an RF beginer, and spicing the circuit gives me "some" confidence
that it may work, but I understand that spice may be quite a bit off the
mark with parasitics and all.

The idea of reducing the RF voltage across the part is a good one, but how
do I do it? I am actually using two in series (back to back) but 20 volts
peak seems a bit much.

I have the ARRL handbook (1997 or so) but this doesn't have much in the
way
of theory. Is there any other reference anyone can recommend?

I could just build it and see if it works, but I wouldn't be able to test
much except measure the operating frequency.

James.

"Tom Bruhns" wrote in message
m...
Yes, the RF generally does cause nearly instantaneous voltage changes,
and therefore capacitance changes, across the diode. Spice should
handle this properly. You need to lower that RF voltage! In
addition, the average capacitance will depend on the amplitude of the
RF because of the nonlinear nature of the capacitance versus voltage,
so it's important to keep the RF level reasonably constant, for
stability. It's fairly common in covering a wide range, especially if
you also want low phase noise, to break it up into subranges which
might be selected with switching or PIN diodes. Of course, it's also
critical to keep the control voltage "quiet" because at 10MHz/volt or
so, a millivolt will give you 10kHz of frequency deviation.

If you look up other uses for varactor diodes, you'll find that the
characteristic you are asking about is used to make efficient
frequency multipliers, and even mixers and amplifiers. (Search for
"parametric amplifier.")

Cheers,
Tom


In message , James French wrote:
Hello,

I have a general question regarding tuning diodes:
Does the oscillation voltage alter their capacitance, or is
capacitance a
slow changing value - like resistance and PIN diodes?

The reason I ask is that I am spicing (simulation) a VCO I wish to
build
(wide range 140-240MHz) and get an oscillation voltage of 20 volts
peak
(maybe the Q is too high). This high oscillation voltage would easily
swamp
the tuning voltage, 3-15 volts, and forward bias the diode itself.

If anyone wishs to reply directly they must remove the "xxx" from the
return
address or write to:
james dot fenech at nec dot com dot au

Thanks,
James.

I highly recommend _Experimental Methods in RF Design_, by Hayward,
Cambell, and Larkin. It's published by the ARRL and available from them
and numerous other sources. Besides theory and a lot of real, practical,
tested circuits and projects, it includes simple test equipment you can
build yourself.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

James Fenech wrote:
. . .
I have the ARRL handbook (1997 or so) but this doesn't have much in the way
of theory. Is there any other reference anyone can recommend?
. . .

Hi All,

thanks for the many responses. My use of this VCO if for a homebrew spectrum
analyser, 0-100MHz with a 140MHz first IF. This sort of rules out doing it
in ranges - maybe?

I'm only an RF beginer, and spicing the circuit gives me "some" confidence
that it may work, but I understand that spice may be quite a bit off the
mark with parasitics and all.

The idea of reducing the RF voltage across the part is a good one, but how
do I do it? I am actually using two in series (back to back) but 20 volts
peak seems a bit much.

I have the ARRL handbook (1997 or so) but this doesn't have much in the way
of theory. Is there any other reference anyone can recommend?

I could just build it and see if it works, but I wouldn't be able to test
much except measure the operating frequency.

James.

"Tom Bruhns" wrote in message
m...
Yes, the RF generally does cause nearly instantaneous voltage changes,
and therefore capacitance changes, across the diode. Spice should
handle this properly. You need to lower that RF voltage! In
addition, the average capacitance will depend on the amplitude of the
RF because of the nonlinear nature of the capacitance versus voltage,
so it's important to keep the RF level reasonably constant, for
stability. It's fairly common in covering a wide range, especially if
you also want low phase noise, to break it up into subranges which
might be selected with switching or PIN diodes. Of course, it's also
critical to keep the control voltage "quiet" because at 10MHz/volt or
so, a millivolt will give you 10kHz of frequency deviation.

If you look up other uses for varactor diodes, you'll find that the
characteristic you are asking about is used to make efficient
frequency multipliers, and even mixers and amplifiers. (Search for
"parametric amplifier.")

Cheers,
Tom


In message , James French wrote:
Hello,

I have a general question regarding tuning diodes:
Does the oscillation voltage alter their capacitance, or is
capacitance a
slow changing value - like resistance and PIN diodes?

The reason I ask is that I am spicing (simulation) a VCO I wish to
build
(wide range 140-240MHz) and get an oscillation voltage of 20 volts
peak
(maybe the Q is too high). This high oscillation voltage would easily
swamp
the tuning voltage, 3-15 volts, and forward bias the diode itself.

If anyone wishs to reply directly they must remove the "xxx" from the
return
address or write to:
james dot fenech at nec dot com dot au

Thanks,
James.