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From: mjj@stda.jhuapl.edu (Marshall Jose)
Newsgroups: rec.ham-radio,sci.electronics
Subject: Gunn diodes: which way is up?
Keywords: gunn microwave gaas transit-time x-band
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Date: 15 Aug 90 16:43:55 GMT
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Having recently obtained some Gunn sources and disassembled them
(carefully) to understand how they are put together, I became somewhat
confused about Gunn diode polarity.  I am referring to the small
(MA/COM style 30) case, as roughly shown below:

                    _,--|_
                   |_|  |_|
                     `--|

After consulting the RSGB VHF/UHF handbook and the Gunn data sheets
of both Alpha and MA/COM, my confusion was magnified from "somewhat"
to "utterly".

OK, so you can't tell from the package which end is anode (since no
manufacturer seems willing to mark them).  So how DOES one determine
their polarity?  I mean, besides the destructive method?

Thanks and Have a Swell Day,
Marshall Jose  WA3VPZ
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