The AR6A Single-Sideband Microwave Radio System: Radio transmitter-receiver units

This paper describes the essential features and the performance of the AR6A microwave transmitter and receiver. Subsystems that are major contributors to repeater noise are explained in detail. Design objectives for each of these units are given and compared to typical results obtained from measurements. Transmitter linearity was improved substantially through the use of predistortion. The thermal noise contribution of the receiver was reduced by use of a new low-noise microwave preamplifier.