The Precision Acoustics high performance hydrophone system comprises a 100MHz wide-band preamplifier, which is phantom powered through the DC Coupler, and a unique selection of plug-in interchangeable PVdF probes.
The PA Submersible Integrated Preamplifier (Order Code: HP1) provides immediate signal buffering and acts as a precision 50 Ohm source. A 2 metre coaxial cable is fitted as standard but may be extended to meet any user requirement without inducing the cable ringing artefacts experienced when making high frequency measurements with conventional hydrophones. The PA DC Coupler complete with its own power supply (Order Code: DC3) provides dc power to the submersible preamplifier whilst acting as an acoustic signal coupler between the preamplifier and the user's measurement system.
The flexibility of this approach allows the user to choose from a range of PVdF probes from a 9 micron, 0.04mm diameter sensor to a 1mm diameter sensor with a 28 micron PVdF element. Such probes help eliminate spatial averaging errors and provide outstanding non-directional characteristics for the accurate measurement of diffracted or scattered ultrasound fields.
All hydrophones are supplied with Precision Acoustics in-house calibration over the range 1-20MHz. If an absolute calibration is required we would recommend a calibration at NPL, London, or PTB, Germany and we will arrange this at cost. We recommend that all hydrophones are recalibrated annually.
Alternative configurations include the use of large aperture probes typically 2mm or 4mm, to measure unusually low acoustic pressures, and sharp needle probes for insertion into gel or tissue-like media. The standard range of needle hydrophones can be supplied with a right-angled shaft to facilitate positioning in shorter measurement tanks
Submersible preamplifier and DC Coupler; these are required for all systems. The following Interchangeable probes are available:
- 1.0mm probe
- 0.5mm probe
- 0.2mm probe
- 0.075mm probe
- 0.04mm probe
- Hydrophone Booster Amplifier, recommended for use with the 75 and 40 micron probes
- Attenuator recommended in high acoustic pressure fields
Warranty: needle hydrophones six months, submersible preamplifier and DC coupler 12 months.
If a warranty claim is made on devices that have been calibrated at NPL or PTB a charge will be made for the used part of the calibration (e.g. in the event of failure of a needle probe at six months the charge for recalibration at NPL is 50% of calibration charge; in the event of failure of a preamplifier at nine months the charge for recalibration at NPL is 75% of calibration charge).
For further information please look at the Needle Hydrophone User Manual.
