Off Center Fed (OCF) Dipole Baluns

VHF/UHF Generic Base Transceiver RFI Kit

RFI-VHF-BASE
$49.95
In stock
1
Product Details
MPN: RFI-VHF-BASE
Type: Nw
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Filter Power Rating (PEP watts): 500
RFI Suppression Range (MHz): 25-300 MHz

Palomar Engineers RFI Filter Kit for VHF/UHF Base Radio Transceivers up to 2 GHz uses a combination of ferrite mixes useful from 1-2000 MHz.

BUY THIS KIT NOW TO SOLVE YOUR RFI/EMI NEEDS! WORKS WITH MANY BRANDS OF HAM/COMMERCIAL RADIO RIGS


Purpose

The RFI kit is designed to be installed on your radio transceiver to reduce Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) caused by common mode current on the outside of the coax braid at the output of your radio. Additional chokes are included to reduce common mode currents on the amp relay keying line (7 pin Din), rear audio in/out for digital modes (13 pin Din), computer control line (DB-9) and the DC power cord.

This kit will help reduce or eliminate:

1. “Hot mic” RFI caused by poor grounding of antennas or common mode currents from linear amps feeding unbalanced (coax fed) antennas without baluns/line isolators.

2. RFI to neighbor’s electronic devices including audio/video systems, computers, telephones, garage door openers, etc.

3. RFI to your other radios, audio/video systems, computers, telephones, etc.

A side benefit is a reduction in noise floor in your receiver depending on the amount of noise being introduced by common mode currents (which are blocked/reduced by the chokes in this kit).

These chokes use a special mix of ferrite core material that is effective in suppressing radio frequency interference from Ham Radio amplifiers.

The split beads beads are easy to use, don’t require modification of the protected equipment and work in almost all cases, even when plug-in filters fail.

This kit is designed to choke common mode currents going into or exiting from your transceiver. Chokes are supplied for the RF Out (1 antenna only), Amp Relay Cable (7 pin DIN), Computer Control Cable (DB-9), PSK31/Digital Mode Cable (13 pin Din) and DC power line. Use of the chokes often helps cure SWR problems between transceiver and a linear amp and between transceiver and antenna tuner or direct to antenna. The DC power line choke helps keep common mode current out of the power line which could cause interference to other devices connected to the same power line if not suppressed.

Included are the following chokes and installation guidelines:

RF Input: F240 Ring Toroid for noise reduction – 3-5 turns of RG-58/RG-8X size coax cable through center

DC Input: F240 Ring Toroid – 3-7 turns of DC power cable

I/O Cable 1: FSB-1/2 – multiple turns through choke – ½” diameter hole

I/O Cable 2: FSB-1/2 – multiple turns through choke – ½” diameter hole

I/O Cable 3: FSB-1/2 – multiple turns through choke – ½” diameter hole

Also make sure you connect a good RF ground to the transceiver ground post.

For additional RFI suppression, use a feed line choke at the antenna to suppress common current on the coax feed line – see our store for feed line choke alternatives for use at the antenna.

If you use a linear amplifier we have RFI kits for linear amplifiers that help suppress RFI in your shack or in your neighbor’s house.

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Testimonial

Hi Bob,

Radio: Flex-6700 running barefoot -10 to 100 Watts max.
Antenna: MFJ-1216 – 160/80 meter OCFD wire antenna with matching network.
Elevation: Over 60 feet AGL – fully extended.
Installed: Mid November 2013

I operate mainly on the digital modes running less than 50 Watts.  All of the sudden after a few days operating with this antenna, I start to have RFI and my radio was acting up; such as changing bands, SWR changing values, radio failures and turning off. However, when I used my Hy-Gain 18 HT vertical on the same band none of the abnormality occurred.
I contacted MFJ and confirm that what I was noticing was a failure of their “matching network” AKA balun.  They offered no solutions. Then I contacted Palomar Engineers and bought the 1:1 new toroid RF beads.  I called Palomar Engineers and I happened to talked to you directly; regarding the on going issue with the MFJ antenna. I found out that the 1:1 balun was not what I needed (I was miss-informed by MFJ that it was 1:1 matching network.)
You offered to make the required balun 4:1 and the rest is history.

Here are my findings:

  1. No more RFI displayed on the monitors.
  2. Radio not acting up or turning off.
  3. The SWR at 160/80 meter is 1.2:1
  4. No antenna tuner required.  (radio goes to Bypass automatically.)
  5. Worst SWR is on 10 meter with a 2:1 but still usable, with antenna tuner 1.5.
  6. One happy OCFD user!

Thanks to Palomar Engineers design and engineering for solving this issue.

73, Ernest – W4EG