icom ANTENNA COAX PROXIMITY TO POWER

[Simon B]

We are routing our cables through a hole in the console do I need to separate off the antenna coax and do this through an aperture away from radio power leads and GPS/Sonar etc

Also I wasnt to impressed with the power connector bullets from Icom (sorry JB) and will replace this with a micro buccaneer connector, can I use a 3 pole and put the NMEA 0183 feed from the GPS through this also? My mate in Radar said we may need "'braid breaker' ferrite chokes" whatever they are?

[Swifty]

I can't see any need for cutting a seperate hole just for the coax. The coax will screen 99.9% of the RF energy from any adjacent cables. There will be far more RF floating around inside the case, and they cope with that ok.

As regards NMEA and power in the same plug, it will be absolutely fine.

Ferrite chokes are basically coils. They present no resistance to low frequecies but become active at high frequencies. They prevent unwanted RF signals from travelling along connecting wires (including screened cable) which can act like aerials and radiate the interferrance. They should allready be fitted inside the radio and adding extra ones outside is generally unneccesary.

Tim'mers.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Swifty

...Ferrite chokes are basically coils.

Err, no. Ferrite chokes are made from ferrite. They are placed close to cable connections/connectors. You can buy them and they take the form of two half cylindric ferrites mounted inside a plastic case which, when clipped closed, encircles the cable.

However, I'm being a bit pedantic and Swifty is correct in that chokes (inductors) can be simple coils but they are more commonly coils wrapped around a ferrite.

[Swifty]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Err, no. Ferrite chokes are made from ferrite. They are placed close to cable connections/connectors. You can buy them and they take the form of two half cylindric ferrites mounted inside a plastic case which, when clipped closed, encircles the cable.

Absolutely right. They are called cores or rings. By winding wire around them they become chokes or coils.

Now being vv pedantic , but anyway, are we bovvered? Will still work with what you have.

[Simon B]

Thankyou gentlemen, we will proceed with the rebuild! I wonder what more kit will come out for NMEA 2000, the radio is running 0183 at present.