News
Amplifier Headroom / P1dB Compression Calculator: Will Your LNA Clip?
Posted by GPIO Labs on
Noise figure and gain specs assume your LNA is running linear. A strong nearby signal — an FM tower, a radar bench, a jammer — can push it into compression even if your wanted signal is weak. This calculator sums everything hitting the input, checks it against P1dB, and tells you whether you're clipping — and which signal to filter out if you are.
Remote LNA Voltage Drop Calculator | Bias Tee Power Check
Posted by GPIO Labs on
Your bias tee outputs a clean voltage. The LNA at the end of a long cable run doesn't see it — cable resistance eats into it along the way. This calculator shows exactly how much voltage survives the trip, and how far you can run before your LNA starts to brown out.
RF Coax Cable Loss Calculator: dB Loss and the Noise Figure It Actually Costs You
Posted by GPIO Labs on
A coax cable loss calculator that goes past the dB number — see exactly what your cable run costs your receiver's noise figure, and whether moving your LNA to the antenna end would get it back.
Why Do Pilots Still Use AM Radio? (And What You Can Actually Hear on the Airband)
Posted by GPIO Labs on
Why do pilots still use AM radio? The answer is a surprisingly clever safety advantage. Learn why AM remains essential on the 118–137 MHz airband, what you can hear, and how to start listening with an SDR.
What Noise Figure Do You Actually Need?
Posted by GPIO Labs on
Lower NF isn't always better. Here's how to set a real target based on your actual noise floor — not the smallest number on the page.