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Reviews For: MyAntennas CMC-154-3K

Category: Antenna parts, accessories, incl. baluns, hardware, etc.

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Review Summary For : MyAntennas CMC-154-3K
Reviews: 1MSRP: 79.95
Description:
This is a common-mode choke covering 1.8 to 54 MHz, designed
to isolate RFI/EMI noise.
Product is in production
More Info: http://https://myantennas.com/wp/product/cmc-154-3k/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0015
AI3I Rating: 2018-06-29
Noise? What noise? Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
When I think of common-mode chokes, I think of the old adage of "if you can't hear 'em, you can't work 'em"...how true.

Most folks waste a lot of time and money in overcoming noise, uncooperative solar cycles, and other madness. Out of that comes complaining and folks resorting to an amplifier. I'm amazed at how few ever consider a common-mode choke and how many marvel when I speak about them, as if it's some sort of black magic voodoo. They're said to be the radio amateur's best kept secret, and apparently they are, but I'd like to change that...I hope everyone finds out about them!

I have a handful of these, coupled with the EFLW series end-fed antennas (from MyAntennas, and reviewed elsewhere on eHam) and they are tremendous. I live about a mile from a 345kV transmission line, with other various 208kV and 138kV lines in the area, in addition to several 25kV loops running around town. Noise, noise, noise and lots of it, exceeding S-9 across several bands. I've wound chokes in the past, but these perform better than anything I've been able to come up with on my own, and certainly not for a lack of trying. Using MyAntennas EFLW 1.5kW 117 ft. end-fed with a single CMC-154-3K at the antenna's feedpoint, my S-9+ noise on 160-meters dropped to S-5, and S-9 noise on 80-meters dropped to S-3. Yep, you read that right...that's not an exaggerated figure. In addition, I dropped to S-5 on 60-meters down from S-7 up to S-9, and I typically hover at around S-3 noise on the low end of 40-meters to S-1 on the high end. Moving up the dial, it's S-1 to nearly nothing all the way up to 6-meters. I think this product is modest in terms of its operating specifications, and it has far exceeded what it says it will do on paper. This is, by far, the best common-mode choke I have ever used...yes, ever!

So, put that old amplifier on eBay, buy some common-mode chokes, and enjoy some money back in your pocket, quiet bands, and plenty of DX.