|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Speak Out
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
|
You can
write your own review of the PAR Electronics, Inc. VHFDN152.
|
KI6DYR
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Nov 11, 2008 16:24
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Excellent
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
I have used PAR Electronics products for several years and even recommend them regularly. I now live at 6300 feet overlooking ALL of southern California from San Diego to parts far north. I am surrounded by repeaters, both commercial and amateur. In fact, there are three ham repeaters right next door.
But the biggest offender are those damn VHF paging transmitters with an ERP of 1400 watts and operating under a cancelled license. They blanket California and the interference is tremendous. But not with the PAR VHFDN152. It is completely gone.
Dale is also a pleasure to work with. He patiently answers questions and is truly helpful.
|
|
N3ZY
|
Rating: 5/5
|
May 15, 2008 20:01
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Performs as specified
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
|
I own an ICOM 2720 which very poorly rejects strong paging transmitter signals. This was a significant issue for me because I live on a mountain festooned with antennas of all kinds. Two of them within a kilometer of my house are paging transmitters. I installed this filter and found that it notched out the paging transmitters with no significant insertion loss. It absolutely eliminated the problem.
|
|
NM7R
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Mar 7, 2006 09:07
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great problem solver
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
I operate a linked network of 11 repeaters at 9 sites in southwest Washington. One site was giving me fits. My contribution to the RF smog on the hill in question is a package including a VHF repeater on 147.340+, a UHF repeater on 442.675+ and a link transceiver on 441.675+. All use a PL of 118.8. The two repeaters share an antenna through a diplexer.
Life was good, and then a new 158 Mhz paging transmitter moved into the building next door. The antenna is on a pole 60 feet horizontally and 20 feet vertically away from my repeater antenna. When a user was on another repeater in the network, it would key the VHF and UHF transmitters (that’s how a linked system works). The VHF repeater receiver would then momentarily key up erratically and repetitively, seizing the link and interfering with the entire network.
This “shotgun” problem would go away if I killed either the VHF transmitter or receiver, so I figured it was a mixing problem. That also explains why the PL lock was ineffective. I had to leave the 2-meter side off for days at a time. It was frustrating.
I tried a DCI bandpass filter on the VHF side. This had worked at other sites, but couldn’t touch this problem. I tried an additional bandpass cavity on the transmit (and later the receive) side of the Sinclair 4-cavity duplexer. No effect.
I called Dale and he recommended the VHFTN152-158. This is a three-section notch filter with one section on the 152 and two on the 158 Mhz paging frequencies. He takes PayPal, so I instant-paid him and he instant-sent the filter. I installed the filter at the junction of the diplexer and main feedline, figuring that keeping the paging out of the UHF AND VHF sides would be a good thing. I had double-checked the 2-meter and 70-cm insertion loss on the bench – there is none.
I installed the filter in early December, and here it is March and not a peep. Both repeaters are working fine. Thanks Dale, for such a professionally built product, the caring, personal service, and getting my repeater back. Well worth the $96.
|
|
N3ATS
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Feb 24, 2006 12:57
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
AWESOME!!!
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
There is a VHF paging base station 400 yards from my house. The paging base is delivering almost 300 watts to a Decibel Products DB228 (9dB gain) antenna. Duty cycle is near 100%.
My Comet X50A (4.5dB gain) antenna is at 40' on my chimney, in direct line of site with the paging transmitter. You can see one antenna from the other.
Ha! By now you KNOW what I am dealing with!
I am using a Icom IC706MKIIG transceiver, and as you can imagine, this paging site is tearing me up most righteously on 146.520. It's so bad that I can't even carry on a simplex QSO unless the other station is coming in at S8 or better. I say S8 because that's the level at which I can hear the paging transmitter in the 2M band.
I contacted Mr. Parfitt about the situation and he recommended the model VHFDN152 IM filter. I told him what the offending frequency was (152.180) and he had one tuned and on it's way in HOURS! He even shipped it to me on the honor system. How does the other half live! I received the filter in a couple of days, and installed in minutes. It weighs ounces, is smaller than a pack of cigarettes, and all you have to do it connect one side to the radio and the other to the antenna.
Gone. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Nothing.
Not a scratch, not even a squelch breaking peep out of that transmitter! And this is at 3:30 on a Friday afternoon! Prime time for the paging business. This transmitter is on the air constantly. Nearly 100% duty cycle. Now, I don't even know it's there.
The filter will notch the offending frequency at 50 dB or better. The chart that came with my filter shows -58 dB at 152.400 MHz. The filter handles a throughput of 50 watts, has an insertion loss of a mere .3 dB, and a maximum SWR in the 2 meter band of 1.25:1 MAX!
This filter is easily worth many times the asking price of $69.00 plus $7.00 is shipping, and is an awesome product that I can't say enough about.
Thanks again Dale for a wonderful product, and as always, exemplory customer service!
|
|
N1KSN
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Nov 29, 2004 11:39
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Solved my problem
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
I purchased one of these notch filters used from another ham in my club. He sold it to me after I mentioned the problems I'd had from time to time receiving on our club's repeater TX frequency at my home station.
Well, the problem must have been caused by pager transmissions, because this unit did the trick and my RX problems are gone. I simply used an adapter to connect it to the jack on the back of my FT-8800R.
Also, the build quality of this filter is very solid.
|
|
K4MMG
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Nov 6, 2003 19:52
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
WOW I Can Hear !
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I have both a 706 MIIG, and a VX5R which I use often, specfically on 2mtrs.,and 70cm. However when I travel to Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio, Texas, the radios were almost unuseable on some frequencies because of the RF saturating signals from commercial equipment.
I discussed this situation with Dale, and he recommended the VHF dual notch filter which can handle 50 watts continuous. I had mine configured with b&c connectors, thus making it easier to use with the VX5R.
Results are absolutely gratifying, after traveling to the major cites with the filter installed on either radio. I CAN HEAR on the amateur frquency of my choice without any trace of intermod from commercial inteference , either on 2mtr.,or 70 cm. Without this filter the radios were almost useless in these major cities.
This filter is a great investment, and thanks to the folks at Par Electronics for having this filter available.
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
|
|
