Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?  (Read 407 times)

K4BDA

  • Member
  • Posts: 54

Just wondering if having a strong magnet close to a  transceiver will cause any issues.

I'm unsure if it will cause issues with Displays or Memory or what.

Thanks for  any comments.
Logged

K1FBI

  • Member
  • Posts: 1475
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2023, 09:50:23 AM »

Seeing how speakers have a magnet, I am going to guess no, unless it's an electromagnet like those used on a scrap yard crane.
Logged

K1KIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 1556
    • HomeURL
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2023, 10:23:27 AM »

Just don't stack a bunch of rare earth magnets on your faceplate to hold your QSO notes. ;D ;D
Logged
So Many Toys.......So Little Time!

KC6RWI

  • Member
  • Posts: 901
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2023, 10:53:12 AM »

You must be talking about those large pill sized magnets that can pinch your fingers
Logged

N8YX

  • Member
  • Posts: 2449
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2023, 11:23:16 AM »

I'm aware of several Service Bulletins issued by various radio manufacturers which caution against placing a linear power supply immediately next to a transceiver. The magnetic flux caused issues with oscillator stability.

A shielding material known as mu-metal has often been used to offset the effects of external magnetics on sensitive circuits. Perhaps the designers utilized the alloy or paid close attention to circuit layout because I haven't lately heard of this being a problem.

That said, I wouldn't lay a rare-earth magnet next to my transceiver's LED or CRT display.
Logged

K1FBI

  • Member
  • Posts: 1475
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2023, 12:40:22 PM »

Ya, if that Flux gets near your Capacitor, it can send you back to the future if you are not careful.
« Last Edit: February 07, 2023, 12:43:16 PM by K1FBI »
Logged

WA3SKN

  • Member
  • Posts: 8126
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #6 on: February 07, 2023, 02:01:44 PM »

Unlikely, but possible.  Toroids and better shielding have lowered the possible magnetic affects on modern transceivers, but have not eliminated them.

-Mike.
Logged

G4AON

  • Member
  • Posts: 2178
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #7 on: February 07, 2023, 02:07:22 PM »

Magnetic mounts for mobile antennas “kill” radios. When I worked in the mobile radio industry we occasionally had customers bring in a mobile with a mag mount antenna sitting on the case, the fault was often no TX or RX.

The magnetic field can permanently magnetise iron dust cores used in radio equipment, not sure about ferrite rings.

The fix was to replace cores and re-align the radio.

73 Dave
Logged

K1FBI

  • Member
  • Posts: 1475
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #8 on: February 07, 2023, 02:22:25 PM »

Magnetic mounts for mobile antennas “kill” radios. When I worked in the mobile radio industry we occasionally had customers bring in a mobile with a mag mount antenna sitting on the case, the fault was often no TX or RX.

The magnetic field can permanently magnetise iron dust cores used in radio equipment, not sure about ferrite rings.

The fix was to replace cores and re-align the radio.

73 Dave

I have a Current Choke (RF Isolator) going into my rig with a 1 foot jumper and it lays right against the back of the rig.
Never a problem, so ferrite rings are probably safe with any well designed transceiver.
Logged

G3RZP

  • Member
  • Posts: 2254
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #9 on: February 08, 2023, 02:53:04 AM »

VHF/UHF ferrites such as the Neosid F25 are susceptible to magnetic fields. I  worked ina place where production switched over to Weller TCP soldering irons, which used a thermostat based on Curie point for temperature  control. We had  250 scrap assembled PCBs each with two bought in LC filters that used  F25 toroids, as result of the magnetic field from the soldering iron. Fortunately, the filters had all been tested before  assembly into PCBs, so it was just (!) a case of ordering new filters and waiting for them to arrive - and removing the Weller irons from that production line. As is always the case, management went looking for people to blame, and they even tried blaming engineering because  we hadn't specified a maximum magnetic field for the filter! It didn't matter that the filter could not have been made to the necessary physical dimensions and meet the electrical specification.
Logged

K1FBI

  • Member
  • Posts: 1475
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2023, 03:40:59 AM »

VHF/UHF ferrites such as the Neosid F25 are susceptible to magnetic fields. I  worked ina place where production switched over to Weller TCP soldering irons, which used a thermostat based on Curie point for temperature  control. We had  250 scrap assembled PCBs each with two bought in LC filters that used  F25 toroids, as result of the magnetic field from the soldering iron. Fortunately, the filters had all been tested before  assembly into PCBs, so it was just (!) a case of ordering new filters and waiting for them to arrive - and removing the Weller irons from that production line. As is always the case, management went looking for people to blame, and they even tried blaming engineering because  we hadn't specified a maximum magnetic field for the filter! It didn't matter that the filter could not have been made to the necessary physical dimensions and meet the electrical specification.
If magnetism is a problem, using a soldering iron called a Magnastat should have raised a flag.

Logged

K1FBI

  • Member
  • Posts: 1475
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2023, 04:13:09 AM »

Depending on the sensitivity of the components, the distance from the magnetic switch to the end of the tip can be sufficient.
If you were to hold the iron on an extreme angle close to the board you could introduce a problem.
Logged

G3RZP

  • Member
  • Posts: 2254
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #12 on: February 09, 2023, 01:21:05 AM »

Quote
If magnetism is a problem, using a soldering iron called a Magnastat should have raised a flag.

It would have done - if we had been aware of the problem. It was over 50 years ago and the ferrite of that frequency and Q capability was very new. Those were the days when the pundits  predicting that the cost of  a quad 2 input TTL NAND gate would come down to under 50c per gate!
Logged

K1FBI

  • Member
  • Posts: 1475
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #13 on: February 09, 2023, 04:16:58 AM »

Quote
If magnetism is a problem, using a soldering iron called a Magnastat should have raised a flag.

It would have done - if we had been aware of the problem. It was over 50 years ago and the ferrite of that frequency and Q capability was very new. Those were the days when the pundits  predicting that the cost of  a quad 2 input TTL NAND gate would come down to under 50c per gate!
Some things are relatively cheap but cheerful these days and basics like food and shelter are another matter. How time does fly by. It's been almost 20 years since I had booties on and a ground strap to my wrist.
Thanks for paving the way.
73
Logged

K4BNC

  • Member
  • Posts: 46
Re: Will a close proximity Strong Magnet cause issues with a transceiver?
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2023, 04:15:24 PM »

While this discussion is about relatively modern gear, I remember some older transmitters that were more sensitive to magnets.  Anyone remember tube SSB transmitters using the 7360 tube as the balanced modulator?
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up