High power VHF

A guide to the SHX1 and QPX1 transceivers, and the QPT1 transmitter

LONG RANGE HIGH POWER VHF MULTI-CHANNEL RADIOS

As well as the lower power 'baseline' radio families, Radiometrix also manufactures a range of VHF radios with transmit power levels well above what is commonly understood by “low power” radio.

These modules are matched to the TX power regulatory limits of a range of allocations in various parts of the world, whether that is the 500mW permitted on 169MHz across Europe, the 2 watt limit in the MURS allocation in the USA, or higher powers used in licensed (and amateur radio) allocations world-wide

Key features

•Narrow Band (guaranteeing excellent “range per watt”, and giving access to narrowband only allocations)
Multi-channel (parallel select, or up to 128 channels by serial command)
Excellent RF performance. High linearity FET mixers, LDMOS power stages
Frequency variants available to cover all high power VHF allocations, world wide
Re-programmable via RS232. Can be ordered on a wide range of frequencies
Range: several kilometers (and considerably more with good antennas)
Conform to EN 300 220-3 (and EN 301 489-3) or corresponding FCC (part 90/95) regulations
Evaluation Boards available

SHX1 VHF 500mW transceiver

This is the smallest of the higher power VHF multichannel radios. It is a 500mW capable transceiver in a compact 67 x 30mm PCB mounted footprint. This is a highly capable multichannel design (using a low phase noise PLL frequency synthesizer, combined with high rejection crystal and ceramic channel filters in the RX path)

The feature rich user interface provides:

  • (general)  Parallel (1 of 16) or serial channel select. Optional i1200 modem
  • TX:   logic level modulation input (can be adapted to analogue input)
  • RX:  raw audio and squared (digital logic) baseband outputs, and a wide dynamic range analogue RSSI output

QPX1 and QPT1. Even higher power

    The QPX1 transceiver (and the accompanying QPT1 transmitter) take the basic functionality of the SHX1 and add a highly reliable 2 watt LDMOS transmit output stage. These units can be supplied in either a standard PCB mounted tin-plate (NS106) screen version, or a more robust, extruded aluminium housing/heat sink (ideal for chassis mounting) with D15 user and SMA RF connectors
    The user interfaces (either pinned or the D15 type) provide comparable functionality to the SHX1, while also adding an analogue baseband input to the transmitter, and (QPX1 receiver) an RSSI level operated mute/squelch for easier operation with either tone or voice signals



And more

  To simplify implementing a wireless solution based on these modules, the firmware in the SHX1 and QPX1 includes a simple yet effective radio modem sub system, which can be selected (or disabled) by a user command.
   In “modem” mode the module operates as a fully transparent (half duplex) RS232 compatible data link at 1200 baud, and is compatible with other Radiometrix “i1200” modem enabled products (including the NBEK, and the whole TR1M/ TX1M/ TR1M lower power module family). The QPT1 transmitter requires only an external i1200 compatible chip, while all of these radios can be used with either the M48 modem or the CTA88 controller devices.

  

APPLICATIONS

This series of radios are best suited to applications where much longer range than “typical” low power wireless modules can deliver, is needed. These high integrity high power links are ideally suited to long range asset tracking, industrial telemetry and telecommand, and long distance agricultural or water-borne communication tasks

Beyond the basic family

To further simplify the implementation of user designs, a number of application/demo boards are offered, with necessary connectors and support and interface circuitry. These boards can be mounted uncased, or in some cased mounted in more robust industrial housings.
These boards include modem application boards hosting the M48 modem chip and either the SHX1 or QPX1 transceiver, and a number of industrial control boards using the CTA88 chip, and variants of it


Evaluation & Application Boards

To further simplify the implementation of user designs, a number of application/demo boards are offered, with necessary connectors and support and interface circuitry. These boards can be mounted uncased, or in some cased mounted in more robust industrial housings.
These boards include modem application boards hosting the M48 modem chip and either the SHX1 or QPX1 transceiver, and a number of industrial control boards using the CTA88 chip, and variants of it


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