Common Mode Current Baluns and Chokes for Ham Radio Antennas

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  • Опубликовано: 5 янв 2025

Комментарии • 108

  • @HamRadioCrusader
    @HamRadioCrusader Год назад +13

    I laughed WAY TOO HARD at the video thumbnail 😂😂😂😂😂

    • @Lancedsanders
      @Lancedsanders Год назад +2

      Same here. That cracked me up.

    • @bdinnocenzo
      @bdinnocenzo Год назад +1

      Yup! Me too…

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +1

      Haha, even I cracked up about it 👍

    • @brad1725
      @brad1725 Год назад +1

      Guilty of laughing, too… 😂

    • @PARTner91
      @PARTner91 Год назад

      Freakin hilarious 😆

  • @acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE
    @acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE Год назад +3

    Interesting and informative information well delivered by you both.I like your individual channels as you both present information clearly in a laid back and non-gimmicky way. You also work well together and convey the information well.
    Too often multi presenter videos forget the viewer whilst the presenters try to out-joke each other, trying to become the dominant personality and party at the viewer's expense. You and Chuck don't fall into this trap and compliment each other. I look forward to more videos from you both. 👍👍👍👍👍😃😃

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +2

      Thanks Ace, glad to hear you like the videos!

  • @RandallRash
    @RandallRash Год назад +2

    Deep dive on a technical subject would be great!

  • @bill-2018
    @bill-2018 Год назад +2

    I've been experimenting with h/b h.f. dipoles lately, a 60m inverted vee and a 2m 2 element collinear and trying ferrite chokes.
    I decided my best place was at the tx end as it kept the SWR happy unlike at the aerial end where my hand on the coax in the shack affected the SWR.
    My theory is that r.f. surrounds the coax and it was picking r.f. up after the choke. Perhaps a few snap on ferrites spaced out along the coax near the aerial will do the job. I'm going to try it.
    G4GHB.

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +1

      Yeah, I do choke at both ends. Good luck with it Bill 👍

    • @bill-2018
      @bill-2018 Год назад +1

      @@TheSmokinApe It does seem it's going to be best.
      73, G4GHB.

  • @Ezzell_
    @Ezzell_ Год назад +4

    It would be interesting to see what effects clam chokes (clamp-ons) may have on swr of the antenna. If you were to tune an antennae to your sweet spot then place several chokes on the line.... would the SWR change at all if re-measured?

    • @VE9ASN
      @VE9ASN Год назад +4

      If it does, it proves you had common mode current on the exterior of your feedline .

    • @Ezzell_
      @Ezzell_ Год назад +5

      @@VE9ASN hard to argue with that...

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +3

      Yeah, it would only change if there was CMC.

  • @DonDegidio
    @DonDegidio Год назад

    Hi Ape,
    I saw Don's questions about remote coax switch and remote tuner. I have both and put a CMC at the input to the remote tuner and have both the tuner and switch box connected to a ground rod. Never had any stray currents come into the shack. 73 WJ3U

  • @ornithopterindia
    @ornithopterindia Год назад +1

    👍Thank you sir.

  • @kevinkc3onohelijeepworld953
    @kevinkc3onohelijeepworld953 Год назад +3

    Ape would love to see you on every Tuesday. Maybe you can get that Amidom Kmix balun tested on the 1st episode going with the cmc theme 😉☺️anxiously waiting ☺️

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +3

      I was looking at that core today 👀

  • @MrMudsHamRadioTime
    @MrMudsHamRadioTime Год назад

    Great delivery and focus on the subject Ape! Started to search your channel instead of Google when I’m looking for an answer or help on radio related content. 🤙🏻

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад

      Hey Mr Muds, glad you are finding the videos helpful 👍

  • @AndyAAzeroAM
    @AndyAAzeroAM Год назад

    Definitely 1. Any opportunity to learn some stuff is cool with me

  • @bob_mosavo
    @bob_mosavo Год назад

    Thanks, Ape 👍

  • @paulm0hpd319
    @paulm0hpd319 10 месяцев назад

    Good video on how to suppress cmc ,perhaps more should be mentioned on what actually causes cmc ,ive noticed some believe its from an impedance mismatch

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  10 месяцев назад

      Thanks Paul, I appreciate the feedback 👍

  • @blugoose86
    @blugoose86 Год назад +1

    I missed this live Ape, sorry. Did you say that a carbon fiber pole is NOT good to hang a wire from?

    • @LeeMcc_KI5YPR
      @LeeMcc_KI5YPR Год назад +1

      [DISCLAIMER: I am not @TheSmokinApe]
      Carbon fiber is strong for the weight, but it conducts electricity some. Not as much as a metal, but much more than fiberglass.
      I use carbon fiber to hoist a hamstick dipole, or one end of an EFHW. Using it to raise a wire vertical is problematic. It might work, but if it does not, that is the first thing to check.

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +1

      Lee is correct, CF is conductive and will almost certainly have an effect on radiation pattern and tuning. I don't use it...

  • @DonzLockz
    @DonzLockz Год назад

    Awesome, I "gobbled" up all the info today. 🐓
    I like power point presentations but you need pretty pictures too. 👍🤠

  • @Cliff-KI5OPP
    @Cliff-KI5OPP Год назад +1

    QUESTION! Wouldnt your coax be grounded at the entry point into your shack, via the lightning protector that has potential to ground, help eleviate the cmc getting into the shack? The current should look for the easiest path to ground. I would think the coac grounded at your tower or pole help with the same thing?

    • @Cliff-KI5OPP
      @Cliff-KI5OPP Год назад +1

      Coax sorry my fingers are too fat to type on a phone

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +2

      Yes, that is correct. That said, it's best to keep the current off the shield.

  • @DaytonaJim78
    @DaytonaJim78 10 месяцев назад

    Funny thing is I am only Gmrs licensed but a choke and swr and cable loss seems to be more important in the higher frequencies because it already struggles with distance. So most people are running crap setups with Gmrs and the potential to make it way better is there with just a little bit of research!

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  10 месяцев назад +1

      Hey Jim, I think part of it is that the GMRS radios come with little information so they probably just don’t know any better.

  • @bierbarrel
    @bierbarrel Год назад

    I sure wish you would do another Q/A on this topic...Im tired of my radio losing USB connection on certain freqs

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +1

      It's something we cover often on the channel so I am sure it will come up again 👍

    • @bierbarrel
      @bierbarrel Год назад

      Thx...I have already started looking at your videos on the topic. Funny how it all started with FT8@@TheSmokinApe

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад

      👍

  • @K3JRZOnTheAir
    @K3JRZOnTheAir Год назад

    Fantastic info! Thanks for sharing! 73!

  • @norrinradd8952
    @norrinradd8952 Год назад

    A good RFI Choke can redirect enough CMC to cook a chicken. The trick is to get it from the shack to the kitchen. The solution is to have the shack IN the kitchen.

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад

      Hey Norrin you are correct but I prefer my chicken fried!

  • @bdinnocenzo
    @bdinnocenzo Год назад

    CMC is real. All current needs to flow and will ALWAYS seek the path of least resistance. The best solution is to eliminate or minimize the current at the source. Knowing that the current most likely won’t be eliminated you should give it a path to ground that protects people and equipment.

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад

      Totally agree and thanks for the comment!

  • @rfburns3472
    @rfburns3472 Год назад

    Good info. CMC's have kept my bacon from burning in the shack!
    Can you produce a video, using the NANOVNA, measuring the feed point impedance of a specific length nonresonant
    EFHWA? I'm using a newly installed Balan Designs 9:1 with a 41 foot wire that is supposedly nonresonant at the 40 thru 10 meter bands. I have not found any videos measuring the impedance directly at the antenna feed point (ant/counterpoise). Also, the VNA H4 port impedance defaults to 50 ohms. Should this be changed to 450 ohms since the balun is 9:1?

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад

      I haven't done the measurement right at the feedpoint, I could the next time I have an 9:1 installed. The nanoVNA should be at 50ohms, which is the system impedance of the radio.

    • @rfburns3472
      @rfburns3472 Год назад

      Agreed the impedance of the radio is 50 ohms but if your looking directly at the antenna "feed point" impedance I was thinking the NANOVNA port might be accurate when set to 450 ohms for a 9:1 balun. Does that make any sense at all?

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад

      @@rfburns3472 if you are testing without the transformer, the transformer effectively divides whatever the impedance is by 9.

    • @rfburns3472
      @rfburns3472 Год назад

      Sounds correct. Looking forward to your video with a direct measurement at the antenna feed point. BTW, your videos are very well done. Thanks for putting forth the effort.

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад

      @@rfburns3472 thanks man, glad you like them

  • @enginedave
    @enginedave Год назад

    What is better? A coax choke on a 31/43 mix toroid or a bilfillar wound toroid of 31/43 mix?

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +1

      It's a pretty hot debate and its going to depend on core size / type / wire gauge and type / number of turns and pattern. Here is a good discussion to check out to get started: ham.stackexchange.com/questions/13005/coax-or-bifilar-windings-for-a-choke

  • @mjy
    @mjy Год назад

    Love the thumbnail image. LOL

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +1

      Haha, it made me laugh when I dd it...

  • @CurtNovitsky
    @CurtNovitsky Год назад

    So if one has no interference to other equipment in the house or shack does that mean one has no issues ?

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +1

      CMC can be a problem even though you are not hearing "interference" I'd recommend that you use a choke. Thanks for the comment!

  • @Zavestang
    @Zavestang Год назад

    Ape, based on what you said, would love to see your setup in regards to connecting to your radio via wifi, I have a 710, wondering if I can do that same. Be nice to isolate the radio from my computer. Or is that just a feature your radio supports out of the box?

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад

      I use a program called SDR Control, it's only for Icom 😜

  • @PARTner91
    @PARTner91 Год назад

    The video thumbnail LOL 😂

  • @rich4u1973
    @rich4u1973 Год назад

    Could you actually show choking the ham shack

    • @phillyedhrj
      @phillyedhrj Год назад +1

      Can't show the ham shack. That's how they get ya. 😉

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад

      I did a video a while back that had some pics, I can show some of them plus updates 👍

  • @Rusted_Link
    @Rusted_Link Год назад

    Welcome to the Smokin' Ape Adult Toy Store !!

  • @richysradioroom
    @richysradioroom Год назад

    A picture of a choke and chicken? What could it mean? Oh I get it. They both use inductance to create resistance at a specific frequency.

  • @nortonics5745
    @nortonics5745 5 месяцев назад

    Is the chicken okay?

  • @bassangler73
    @bassangler73 Год назад

    The thumbnail still has me laughing

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +1

      It’s one of my better creations 🐔

    • @bassangler73
      @bassangler73 Год назад

      Lol....Happy New Year bro!​@TheSmokinApe

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад

      @@bassangler73 same to you BA 🍻

  • @DutchmanRadio
    @DutchmanRadio Год назад +1

    The thumbnail was out of pocket 😂😂😂😂

  • @KF0NNQ
    @KF0NNQ Год назад

    1

  • @GlenMillard
    @GlenMillard Год назад

    Why did you have a thumbnail of a chicken? On a video about choking. Chicken-choking? 😎

  • @kevingoshe4371
    @kevingoshe4371 Год назад

    RFI is bad, mmkayy?

  • @phillyedhrj
    @phillyedhrj Год назад

    Look at you gettin' all fancy saying egress.

  • @Lightning-bol
    @Lightning-bol 8 месяцев назад

    MORE BS CLICKBAIT! DO NOT BOTHER WASTE OF TIME !!!!

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  8 месяцев назад

      Glad you liked the video 👍

    • @Lightning-bol
      @Lightning-bol 8 месяцев назад

      @@TheSmokinApe back to your bottle ya drunk

  • @johngriswold
    @johngriswold Год назад

    Stopped watching when you said a choke was a balun.

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад +1

      Oh, that's a shame. If you watched longer I am sure you could have found something else to nitpick about....

    • @johngriswold
      @johngriswold Год назад

      @@TheSmokinApe - Not terribly likely. I, along with many other hams, look to you for good information. Bad information hurts everyone. I'm sorry you don't feel the need to be accurate in your presentations.

    • @TheSmokinApe
      @TheSmokinApe  Год назад

      @@johngriswolddon’t sell yourself short, we both know it’s very likely. It’s what you do…

  • @KellyeEversole
    @KellyeEversole 6 месяцев назад

    1