I started this design 2 years ago using the Hittite HMC474 MMIC. That part has since been discontinued so I redesigned the board.

Originally I wanted a GPS preamplifier. Another project of mine is to build a GPS receiver. But there’s nothing specific about this design that limits it to 1575 MHz. The MMIC and biasing circuitry will allow this to work from VHF to probably around 3 GHz. I haven’t tested the range yet.

This new design uses the Analog Devices ADL5611.

It’s not the cheapest MMIC out there but the features stack up well.

Here’s a schematic. Click the image for a large view:

Parts list:

wideband preamp parts list (spreadsheet)

Performance:

I will test this board in the coming weeks. I promise.

Board:

I’ve shared this board on OSH Park so you can buy your own copy of the board for a reasonable sum