Xref: utzoo rec.ham-radio:5475 sci.electronics:3425
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From: res1@mhuxu.UUCP (Rick Stealey)
Newsgroups: rec.ham-radio,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: monimatch?
Summary: monimatch, directional coupler
Message-ID: <7846@mhuxu.UUCP>
Date: 21 Jul 88 21:16:39 GMT
References: <25048@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <1076@gethen.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 19

> 
> Minicircuits, a manufacturer of LOTS of nifty RF and microwave devices,
> has a line of "directional couplers"  little (about 1 inch on a side)
> boxes with three BNC connectors on them.  Signals going in one direction
> go from one port to the second, and signals travelling in the other
> direction go from the second to the third port.  They are truly clever
> devices, based on diodes.  

Chances are the Minicircuits things cannot handle transmitter power.
Also, from your description, it sounds like the directional coupler
is a circulator.  
But to answer your question as to why someone would build something
when he could buy it, the best reason I can think of is that it is
the best way to LEARN something, and it is extremely rewarding to
accomplish something !


-- 
Rick Stealey
{ihnp4}!mhuxu!res1