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Re: [TowerTalk] Solenoid or Binocular configuration?

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Solenoid or Binocular configuration?
From: Mike <nf4l@att.net>
Reply-to: nf4l@att.net
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:16:19 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On 10/21/12 10:51 PM, K8RI wrote:
On 10/21/2012 6:09 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
On 10/20/2012 7:23 PM, K8RI wrote:
My question is about the difference between the 6 cores stacked or two
stacks side by side.

For a ferrite choke with close-spaced turns, it does not matter if he
cores are together or separated. What matters is the number of turns and
the number of cores.  The inductance increases with the square of the
number of turns, and in proportion to the number of cores. The
capacitance increases with the number of turns and with close spacing.
What you want is the lowest practical resonant frequency, and you can
use the measured data in my RFI tutorial as a guide.  So for the lowest
possible resonant frequency you want more turns and more cores, tightly
spaced.

Thanks Jim,

It's pretty much what I figured. I actually super glue the cores into a stack. Just 4 tiny dots of glue and then pressure for about a minute. From the tutorial I figured 6 cores in a stack with about 9 or 10 turns of RG-400 although I can close space it all the way around the inside, tack each turn in place with a dab of epoxy and let the outside take care of itself. That results in a coil about 3 to 4 inches longer than the stack but with the RG-400 flush against the core on the inside and close to that on the outside. Stacks this long start making 7 turns of the larger cable a lot of work.

If find a need to use the larger cable (run out of RG-400) I'd go to the binocular format as I can wind a coil with 7, or possibly 8 turns in a single plane that takes up less than half the volume of one wound on a solenoid stack. It also makes for a nice, tight, and neat close wound coil that will fit in a 6 X 6 X 4" or 8 X 8 X 4" PVC box under the boom. I think I'll have enough RG-400 to build these though.

I'd have to go back and look at the tutorial again, but IIRC 4 or 5 cores will be enough for the tri-bander and much more effective than the original "cores over the coax" used.

73

Roger (K8RI)

Roger,

What purpose does the box serve? Protecting the connectors?

73, Mike NF4L
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