From Newsgroup: alt.ham-radio.hf

Minicircuits ZKL-1R5 RF MICROWAVE AMPLIFIER(s) 0.01-1.5GHz.
High-end Amps, MedPower +18.7dBm, Low Noise 3dB, 40dB gain. NEW - in
original Minicircuits/antistatic packaging (never used).
LOT of TEN (but if you need singles, message & I'll see what can be
done). Location: NewYork, USA. Ships to: Worldwide
Posted on Ebay, item# 330371507322 - goto www.ebay.com & enter
330371507322 into search. "BuyNow" OPTION is AVAILABLE - NO need to
wait for Auction ending.
Contact via Ebay (best) or Email. By Email, can hit "Reply" in
Newsgroups but REMOVE "NOSPAM" in capital letters repeated in my
address twice (edit address manually) & then I can respond from a
real
address/name. Do NOT reply on Newsgroups (I posted here, but will NOT
read), and if I get much spam that address will be DISABLED, so you'd
have to message via Ebay only.
My Ebay feedback is 100% positive, not to mention 14 YEARS of
Newsgroups trading without complains; also Ebay is better for your own
security but if you've no Ebay account - email.
Again, description is on Ebay but a few facts are copied here (for convenience):
------TECHNICAL SPECS:
A COMPLETE PDF is POSTED at www.minicircuits.com-->enter "ZKL-1R5"
into search-->datasheet; so I only copied a few specs. Finally, check
price Minicircuits is asking - almost $150/unit, we're asking
$50/unit - same new/sealed units but @33% cost- reason to sell is
explained below.
• wideband, 10MHz to 1.500 GHz
• IP3 +31 dBm typ.
• Low Noise 3 dB typ. (not bad for a MedPower amp, rather than
dedicated LNA)
• Gain, 40 dB typ., Flatness 1.2dB
• VSWR IN 1.4, OUT 1.6
• P1dB Compression Point +15dB min, however charts indicate 17.6 to
18.7dBm
• Connectors - SMA (50 Ohm impedance), gold-plated.
• DCpower +12V nom @115mA max, but will take a range of 9-13V or
wider.
• More data, plots, etc. are in a datasheet (PDF) downloadable from manufacturer's website.
Example of applications: communication systems e.g. cellular,
satellite distribution, GSM/ISM; Radars, we're using them in a Middle-
Stage Ampplifier block in an MRI (magentic) scientific instrument.
MORE PHOTOS are at EXTERNAL SERVER as I CANNOT POST on EBAY for free
beyond 1st free photo; at:
http://photos.starium.org ----> select Gallery named "Minicircuits
ZKL-1R5".
------Reason to sell:
Our RF Engineer has changed Product design in which this amplifier was previously used (a scientific instrument); so not all purchased lots
of ZKL-1R5 could be finished before new design "kicked in". In the
new design, ZKL-1R5 overloads the newly redesigned next amplifying
stage (which became more sensitive) & we don't know a clean way to
attenuate ZKL-1R5's gain (38-40dB!), lowering powersupply is not a
solution & not enough. So instead we switched to using ZFL-500 amps
with lower gain & narrower bandwidth (0.5Ghz, in fact all we need is
0.2GHz, not even 0.5GHz). As you imagine Minicircuit's policy is not
to take them back, so forced to sell a 10-unit lot (but already
stocked up on 60 ZFL-500's).
I, in fact, come from a competing RF company (not to be mentioned) so
not interested in promoting Minicircuits, but this is one of their
better models; as far as I know it's using Gallium/Indium PHEMPTs or
something to that effect and how they make it that cheap ($150
original, we ask $50) is a challenge.. It's a pity at the new company
where I moved onto in 2008, which is USING RF Amps rather than
designing them in the first place, we cannot use it due to excessive
gain, also don't need $150+ highend amps anyway for our simple
application under 200MHz.
P.S. Again, more photos are at that http://photos.starium.org site -
pictures are better than a lengthy verbal descritpion.
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