30M APRS, HF Radio Updates

This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant

I previously posted about how my 30M APRS beacons were working, but seemed to be causing major RFI with the truck. I’ve done everything I know to do to track that down: add ferrite chokes, ground straps, etc, but have not found a solution. During my research, I kept finding myself back on this page. Unfortunately, when I ran the initial feed, which runs through a difficult to access port in the back of the cab to between the cab and bed (almost as difficult to access), I used a LMR400 cable just long enough to reach. The recommended method to choke the RF on that site will not work for me without replacing that cable, and even if I replaced the cable I couldn’t fit that assembly back there without removing the toolboxes, hitch, and bed from the truck for the install. Instead, I found this feedline isolation balun that exceeds the specs of the loop the site recommends building. It’s in a 4″ x 4″ x 2″ box that I will mount on the top rail of the truck bed behind the tonneau cover, and run the current feed into, and run another 1′ LMR400 feed to the antenna. All of this company’s baluns and isolation feeds have excellent (5.0/5) reviews on eham.net, including the one I bought. I also picked up eight Fair-Rite 18mm ID type 31 chokes to wrap the power leads in.