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G8MNY  > TECH     26.11.22 10:23l 133 Lines 5747 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 33939_GB7CIP
Read: GUEST
Subj: 4 Aerial Doppler RDF
Path: IZ3LSV<ED1ZAC<ED1ZAC<IQ0FO<CX2SA<N3HYM<EI2GYB<GB7CIP
Sent: 221123/1000Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:33939 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To  : TECH@WW

By G8MNY                            (Updated Jan 15)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)

THE DOPPLER RDF PRINCIPLE
By moving a Rx aerial towards the Tx (rotating it around a center), the Rx
frequency increases, & when going away it decreases. So on a FM Rx a tone will
be heard at the frequency who's phase compared to the aerial rotation position
is the direction.

 + Freq          ->
                                           Tx
No change    v ROTATNG ^                    *

 - Freq          <-       plan view

To mimic a spinning aerial a least 4 identical aerials are needed. And each of
these needs to be faded in & out in pseudo 1/2 sinewave manner. This assumes
the 4 aerials don't interact!

EARLY KIT RDF
I have a 1981 commercial USA kit by Doppler Systems Arizona, model 3003, it
uses a crystal timebase to clock 4 phases of an identical waveform stored in
Proms.
       .-.
       Ý1Þ               They give the 4 phases of
      Þ   Ý              smooth gain changing bias
.-~-./  0ø \.-~-,        for gate 2 of the 4 dual
.         .-.            gate mosfet preamps mimicing
 Ý        Ý2Þ            a spinning aerial rotating
 Þ       Þ   Ý           300 times per second.
  \.-~-./+90ø \.-~-.
 .-.         .-.
 Ý Þ         Ý3Þ
Þ   Ý       Þ   Ý
     \.-~-./+180ø\.-~-.
    .-.         .-.
    Ý Þ         Ý4Þ
   Þ   Ý       Þ   Ý
-./     \.-~-./+270ø\

SCHEMATIC 

Ant 1  Ant 2
   ³     ³
 ÚÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÁÄ¿ 6 way    ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
 ³Four GainÃ==========´Waveform ³ Crystal³  Phase   ³Calibration³Heading Deg &³
 ³Modulated³          ³Generator³Timebase³Comparitor³   Delay   ³Polar Display³
 ³ Preamps Ã=======¿  ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
 ÀÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÙ coax  ³                          ³300Hz                   ³Kill
   ³     ³        ÚÁÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿            ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄ¿ No 300Hz Squelch ³Display
Ant 4  Ant 3      ³ScannerÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´  AF Signal ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
                  ³  Rx   ³ 300Hz + AF ³ConditioningÃÄOverload LED
                  ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ            ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
AERIALS
These must be identical with same length feeder etc. I used 4 magmounts with
short 1m leads to BNC plugs. Into these I can plug in aerials, telescopic ones
give 100-432MHz, for lower frequencies "coat hanger" wire can be cut & put into
PL259 plugs. It is important they are wired up in order correctly!

 -------------      -------------      -------------
|    '    '   |    |     .  .    |    |             |
|      []     |    |      []     |    |     [] ::   |
|    .    .   |    |     '  '    |    |             |
 -------------      -------------      -------------      ú = Magmount
 50MHz spacing          144MHz             432MHz        [] = Preamp

The aerial spacing needs to be about 1/4 wave for the doppler tone to develope,
the distance & the shape of the vehicle roof all affect the bearing
calibration!

RX SETUP
I use the simular sized AOR2002 Scanner for the Rx, modified with a Pre Vol AF
output (see below). The aerial arrangement with external preamp is optional,
but less cables. My preamp came unmounted outside the unit, so I put it in a
diecast with magnetic underside & 4 BNCs, but I also modified it with 4 step up
broad band RF transformers for more gain & terminated them on the PCB with 470R
instead of the 47Rs & added 2 clipping diodes as protection in case I Tx! With
the preamp output coil removed, it now gives useful gain 50-432MHz.

AF MODIFICATIONS
The original circuit had very little pre signal conditioning, only a few dBs
down at 200Hz & 1kHz, so any modulation kills the system. So I desigend a very
narrow wayne filter on a couple of the existing initial opamps in circuit...

             ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ100KÄ¿         dB ³
    10n      ³    ³\      ³          0 ´             .ú.
InÄÄ´ÃÄ100KÄÂÁÄÄÄÄ´- \    ³            ³             Ý Þ
            ³     ³    >ÂÄÁÄÂÄ      -10´            Þ   Ý  
        u1 ===  ÚÄ´+ /  ³   o          ³            |   |
            ³   ³ ³/    ³ Test      -20´           /     \
            ÃÄÄÄ)ÄÄÄÄ´ÃÄÙ Point        ³          /       \
           220R ³     u1            -30´        .'         '. 
            ³   ³                      ³      .'             '.   
          100R  ³                   -40´ _ .ú'                 'ú. _     
         Preset ³                      ÀÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÂÄÄ
  ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄ                      100  200  300  400  500  600Hz

The exact centre frequency is set on the multiturn preset by setting identical
losses at 290 & 310Hz, on the 1st op amp's test point & then the 2nd. The
overload detector pick of point is moved to an earlier stage & made it more
sensitive, so it operated before any clipping occured.

DISPLAY
Polar display uses 16 LEDs in a circle for ease of navigating & 1 in the middle
to indicate power. As well as that there is a 0-360ø bearing indication.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ 360 .úúú. ³
³    :  .  :³
³ ! .'ú...ú'³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
An overload LED indicates if there is too much AF drive.

IN PRACTICE
Anoyingly my scanner gives different 300Hz delays (phases?) between wideband &
narrow band FM modes, so the barring changes if the bandwidth is changed. But
I found on narrow band FM mode, the heavily clipped wideband FM AF, RDF 300Hz
signal is fine. So I added a dedicated unsquelched narrow band FM AF O/P for
RDF feed, & I can still listen to the AM & WBFM modes.

The main problem is RF multipath, if any of the 4 aerials sees an upset RF
field (nulling) the result is usless!


See my tech bul "2M DF ing with just a FT290r", & "Doppler DF Aerial Design"

 
Why Don't U send an interesting bul?

73 de John, G8MNY @ GB7CIP


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