Antennas that are much shorter
than 1/4 wavelength present a very small and highly relative impedance that is dependent
on the received frequency. It is difficult to match impedances over a decade of frequency
coverage. Instead, input stage Q1 is an FET source-follower. A high-impedance input
successfully bridges antenna characteristics at any frequency.
Transistor Q2 is used as an emitter-follower to provide a high-impedance load for Q1, but
more importantly, it provides a low-drive impedance for common-emitter amplifier Q3, which
provides all of the amplifier's voltage gain. Transistor Q4 transforms Q3's moderate
output impedance into low impedance, thereby providing sufficient drive for a receiver's
50 ohms, antenna-input impedance. |