testing 1 WATT transmitter

[actra]

for 1watt , 1.3GHZ transmitter ,
last stage RF amplifiers then SMA then antenna...
if the antenna is not connected , can i power up the circuit to test otherstages ?

imean if the antenna is not connected will the sma connectors reflects the power back to the circuit when i power up the circuit (no antenna)?

 

[House_Cat]

Yes - if you power up the transmitter without the antenna, there is a possibility you will damage the RF output power amplifier.

In general, when testing a transmitter, you should load the PA with the proper impedance load. You can use a dummy load consisting of a resistor of value equal to the antenna impedance - just use one with a power rating high enough to keep it from destroying itself with heat.

 

[flatulent]

There are passive resistive circuits built into cylinders with SMA (and other type) connectors. Some are 50 ohm terminations. Attenuators can also be used for a load. The return loss is twice the attenuation.

**broken link removed** is an example of some low cost 2W attenuators.