RF replacement diode for Boonton detector ?

R

Robert Lacoste

Guest
Hi,

I have a faulty Boonton 51013 power sensor, which is a diode based probe for
the 4220 RF milliwattmeters. And one of the two detection diodes is out. Of
course both diodes would probably need to be replaced and full calibration
to be done again; but do you have any idea for a potential replacement
diode, not too difficult to find and working up to 10 or 20GHz ?

Thanks for your ideas. Experiences of 510XX sensors repairs would be also
welcome, as the diodes are packed in a copper film...

Robert
 
On Nov 9, 8:17 am, "Robert Lacoste" <use-contact-at-www-alciom-com-for-
email> wrote:
Hi,

I have a faulty Boonton 51013 power sensor, which is a diode based probe for
the 4220 RF milliwattmeters. And one of the two detection diodes is out. Of
course both diodes would probably need to be replaced and full calibration
to be done again; but do you have any idea for a potential replacement
diode, not too difficult to find and working up to 10 or 20GHz ?

Thanks for your ideas. Experiences of 510XX sensors repairs would be also
welcome, as the diodes are packed in a copper film...

Robert
Click to expand...
Don't know specifically about your Boonton, but would a diode from the
Avago HSCH-53xx series be useful? Some are rated for use up to
26GHz. They are small, of course, about .006 inches wide and .027
inches long (with leads that could perhaps be cut to yield perhaps .
020 inch net length, if absolutely necessary).

Cheers,
Tom
 
"Robert Lacoste" <use-contact-at-www-alciom-com-for-email> wrote in message
news:47348811$0$27377$ba4acef3@news.orange.fr...
Hi,

I have a faulty Boonton 51013 power sensor, which is a diode based probe
for the 4220 RF milliwattmeters. And one of the two detection diodes is
out. Of course both diodes would probably need to be replaced and full
calibration to be done again; but do you have any idea for a potential
replacement diode, not too difficult to find and working up to 10 or 20GHz
?

Thanks for your ideas. Experiences of 510XX sensors repairs would be also
welcome, as the diodes are packed in a copper film...

Robert
Click to expand...
Pete, KE9OA, had a section on his website with info on those RF Millivolter
probes. Also, the diodes are still available from Boonton, but they are a
tad
pricey.

Pete
>
 
"Uncle Peter" <radioconnection@cox.net> wrote in message
news:8%4Zi.5950$L97.4277@newsfe19.lga...
"Robert Lacoste" <use-contact-at-www-alciom-com-for-email> wrote in
message news:47348811$0$27377$ba4acef3@news.orange.fr...
Hi,

Pete, KE9OA, had a section on his website with info on those RF
Millivolter
probes. Also, the diodes are still available from Boonton, but they are a
tad
pricey.

Pete

Opps. Misread the post. Pete's webpage deals with the voltmeter probe.
Click to expand...


>
 
I wonder if it is similar to the RF Voltmeter probes. They also use a dual
diode design.

Pete

"Uncle Peter" <radioconnection@cox.net> wrote in message
news:HX5Zi.2500$Od.940@newsfe16.lga...
"Uncle Peter" <radioconnection@cox.net> wrote in message
news:8%4Zi.5950$L97.4277@newsfe19.lga...

"Robert Lacoste" <use-contact-at-www-alciom-com-for-email> wrote in
message news:47348811$0$27377$ba4acef3@news.orange.fr...
Hi,

Pete, KE9OA, had a section on his website with info on those RF
Millivolter
probes. Also, the diodes are still available from Boonton, but they are
a tad
pricey.

Pete

Opps. Misread the post. Pete's webpage deals with the voltmeter probe.
Click to expand...
 
"Pete KE9OA" <p.gianako@comcast.net> a écrit dans le message de news:
uLedncSHsNrk6KjanZ2dnUVZ_q2hnZ2d@comcast.com...
I wonder if it is similar to the RF Voltmeter probes. They also use a dual
diode design.

Pete
Click to expand...
Very probably similar, at least if the frequency bands are similar
(100KHz-18GHz for the 51013 probe I want to repair).
Pete, where is your web site ?

Thanks for your advices !
Robert
 
"K7ITM" <k7itm@msn.com> a écrit dans le message de news:
1194629024.203841.115070@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com...
On Nov 9, 8:17 am, "Robert Lacoste" <use-contact-at-www-alciom-com-for-
email> wrote:
Hi,

I have a faulty Boonton 51013 power sensor, which is a diode based probe
for
the 4220 RF milliwattmeters. And one of the two detection diodes is out.
Of
course both diodes would probably need to be replaced and full
calibration
to be done again; but do you have any idea for a potential replacement
diode, not too difficult to find and working up to 10 or 20GHz ?

Thanks for your ideas. Experiences of 510XX sensors repairs would be also
welcome, as the diodes are packed in a copper film...

Robert

Don't know specifically about your Boonton, but would a diode from the
Avago HSCH-53xx series be useful? Some are rated for use up to
26GHz. They are small, of course, about .006 inches wide and .027
inches long (with leads that could perhaps be cut to yield perhaps .
020 inch net length, if absolutely necessary).

Cheers,
Tom
Click to expand...
Thanks Tom.
 
It has been down since I changed from AT&T. I still need to set up another
one.

Pete

"Robert Lacoste" <use-contact-at-www-alciom-com-for-email> wrote in message
news:4739c841$0$5099$ba4acef3@news.orange.fr...
"Pete KE9OA" <p.gianako@comcast.net> a écrit dans le message de news:
uLedncSHsNrk6KjanZ2dnUVZ_q2hnZ2d@comcast.com...
I wonder if it is similar to the RF Voltmeter probes. They also use a dual
diode design.

Pete

Very probably similar, at least if the frequency bands are similar
(100KHz-18GHz for the 51013 probe I want to repair).
Pete, where is your web site ?

Thanks for your advices !
Robert
Click to expand...
 
Hi all,

Just as a followup : We have repaired our 51013 Boonton diode probe using a
double MA4E501 diode from Siemens/MA-COM.

Procedure : probe dismounted, old diodes desoldered (warning : on the N
connector side there is a disk capacitor nearly invisible between the
diodes' ends and the connector). Common pin of the MA4E501 cut at the
shortest and directly soldered on the disk capacitor fitted on the N
connector pin, both other pins directly soldered on the 160 ohm serial
resistors installed in the original probe serially with the diodes.

Results are not as perfect as the original specifically paired and selected
diodes from Boonton (understand : repaired probe doesn't work at 18GHz),
however the probe is reasonnably good up to 5GHz : Measured return loss is
under 25dB up to 3GHz, under 20dB up to 4GHz, but is above 8dB at 8GHz. We
don't have a directionnal coupler between 4 and 8GHz in hands so I don't
know the exact limit but it seems to be around 5-6GHz. Sensitivity is
around -40dBm, in line with the original.

Of course the probe now needs to be recalibrated, but it is back to life !
For those who are interested we have written a small summary of the repair,
with a couple of pictures. It is in french but I guess that pictures will be
understandable worldwide ;+). The network analysis plots show the
measurement on a reference high end 51081 probe (left) and the repaired
51013 probe (right). See www.alciom.com/fr/download/reparation51013.pdf

Now if anyone have a calibration procedure for the boonton probe I would be
interested... The user manual of the milliwattmeter explain how to enter
calibration factors for a probe, but no how to measure them...

Friendly yorus,
Robert Lacoste
www.alciom.com



"Robert Lacoste" <use-contact-at-www-alciom-com-for-email> a écrit dans le
message de news: 4739c856$0$25954$ba4acef3@news.orange.fr...
"K7ITM" <k7itm@msn.com> a écrit dans le message de news:
1194629024.203841.115070@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com...
On Nov 9, 8:17 am, "Robert Lacoste" <use-contact-at-www-alciom-com-for-
email> wrote:
Hi,

I have a faulty Boonton 51013 power sensor, which is a diode based probe
for
the 4220 RF milliwattmeters. And one of the two detection diodes is out.
Of
course both diodes would probably need to be replaced and full
calibration
to be done again; but do you have any idea for a potential replacement
diode, not too difficult to find and working up to 10 or 20GHz ?

Thanks for your ideas. Experiences of 510XX sensors repairs would be
also
welcome, as the diodes are packed in a copper film...

Robert

Don't know specifically about your Boonton, but would a diode from the
Avago HSCH-53xx series be useful? Some are rated for use up to
26GHz. They are small, of course, about .006 inches wide and .027
inches long (with leads that could perhaps be cut to yield perhaps .
020 inch net length, if absolutely necessary).

Cheers,
Tom

Thanks Tom.
Click to expand...
 
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