Nooelec SAWbird NOAA Barebones - Premium Saw Filter & Cascaded Ultra-Low Noise LNA Module for NOAA Applications. 137MHz Center Frequency

The Nooelec SAWbird NOAA Barebones is a premium saw filter and cascaded ultra-low noise LNA module designed for NOAA applications. The device is well-made, with good soldering connections and components flush to the board. It also comes with good quality SMA female jacks with a 5-point attachment that is secure when transitioning to heavy coax. The preamp is bright and is visible from 30 meters away. However, the component failure rate is high, with the first two units burning out on installation and the others operating for only a short time. The gain is also not as great, as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) remains the same when the pre-amp is activated or deactivated. The entire passband noise floor is elevated by the same amount as the boost in the signal provided by the device. Also, the center frequency of the SAW filters advertised could drift up and down with changes in ambient temperature, as the piezoelectric material in the filters vibrates and shifts its center frequency. The component reliability, which is too low, pulled down the rating of the product. Nonetheless, the Nooelec SAWbird NOAA Barebones is still an awesome product. Its performance caused a significant improvement in reception, and it produced mostly excellent imagery from the NOAA satellites.