Portable and Mobile Radio RFI Solutions
Portable operation is fun but also brings challenges to the radio operator concerning receiver “noise” levels, RF interference from adjacent sources including close by transmitting stations, and RFI from portable generators. A typical scenario and some suggested Palomar product solutions are shown in the picture.
Portable operation is typical of ham radio operating events such as Field Day, Summits on the Air, Route 66 events, National Parks on the Air, California QSO party, DXpeditions, and emergency operation command posts, etc.
Suggestions
Each low power operating station with a generator should have:
- Generator RFI Kit (Part # RFI-GEN) with FSB31-1 ferrite filters at each end + Nylon ties for security
- Transceiver RFI Kit (Part # RFI-XCVR)
- Laptop RFI Kit (Part # RFI-1C)
- Coax Cable Noise Filter (Part # CMNF-1)
- Bullet-55 portable HF end fed antenna system
Also make sure you connect a good RF ground to the transceiver ground post.
Note to Flex Radio users: Use snap on ferrites for firewire cable, speaker cable and mic cable, Ring ferrites for Antenna output and DC power.
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.