I recently began running a WSPR beacon on 2200 meters. Beaconing is fine, but I also want to be able to make QSOs on this new band. To that end I needed a very low cost transmit converter so that I could use my FT-2000, which is fully interfaced to the computer for digital modes. Dave, AA1A came to the rescue with an old Anzac MD-143 mixer. The rest I built from stock parts and the junk box. Stock parts are new, current production parts I keep on hand for projects. The junkbox is a collection of old, surplus, used, salvaged and anything else I happen to be able to get my hands on. I don’t need a linear converter or amplifier for this band, and the resulting converter is not linear. It can be used on CW and any mode which does not require linear amplification.

The converter post-mixer amplification and low pass filter are separate from the mixer

The MD-143 takes a nominal 7 dBm local oscillator signal in the 5 to 500 MHz range. For RF it likes about 0 dBm in the same range. Conversion loss is around 6 dB so we can expect about -6 dBm output at the IF port, which is rated DC to 500 MHz. I wanted to get that up to 24 dBm (250 milliwatts) so it provide the same amplifier drive level as my Ultimate 3S beacon transmitter. The fewer things I have to remember when switching modes, bands, activities or exciters the better! I knew I could use a BS170 FET and low pass filter to duplicate the amplifier section of the Ultimate 3S but I would need something on the order of 10 dBm drive to assure equal output. Wayde, K3MF, suggested using a venerable 2N3904 and kindly sent a long a copy of a schematic. This was good because I have a drawer full of 2N3904 transistors! Some quick and dirty breadboarding and testing showed that I could get 12 dBm out of it with -6 dBm input from the mixer. Perfect!

Inside view of the completed post-mixer amplifier and low pass filter

I set about throwing a circuit together. I was only going to be building the post-mixer amplification and low pass filter stages since I wanted to use the Anzac mixer with this and a similar unit for 630 meters. It’s really very simple: a 2N3904 which produces a nice square wave output followed by a BS170 and finally a low pass filter. There is a 5 volt regulator to power the BS170 in order to hold it to the 24 dBm output level, same as in the Ultimate 3S which runs on 5 volts. After throwing the thing together, it showed exactly 24 dBm output on the first try! Whoa… let me note this on my calendar. It’s a historic occasion!

I am temporarily using my trusty HP 3325B function generator as a 10 MHz local oscillator. When I can afford it I plan to get a dedicated 10 MHz LO for this converter, ore more appropriately one that can be shared between this and its soon-to-be-built 630 meter counterpart. My FT-2000 has been modified for general coverage transmit so I can use it on both bands (10.135.7 to 10.137.8 for 2200 meters and 10.472 to 10.479 for 630 meters.

There is not much else to say about this. I am including a schematic for those who may wish to borrow ideas from this simple gadget. Unfortunately I am reduced to posting photographs of schematics since my printer/scanner finally died after many years of faithful service.

Schematic diagram of the post-mixer amp and LPF stages of the converter