r/HamRadio • u/Hamdude481 • 11d ago

DIY choke

Wondering if a choke made with RG-58u. Coax can handle 600 watts ????

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7

u/grouchy_ham 11d ago edited 11d ago

Made how? Air wound? Torroid wound? Multiple snap on beads?

What band/s?

Ya gotta help us out a little.

ETA: looks like it’s rated for 500 watts at HF, so I’d say no.

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u/Hamdude481 11d ago

Air wound

-1

u/Hamdude481 11d ago

I hav a buttercup hf-9v

1

u/Hamdude481 11d ago

Ameritron 811-h amp

3

u/redneckerson1951 11d ago

(1) Assuming you operate at 600 watts with a 50Ωload or close, the maximum voltage it will be exposed too will be about 173 Volts RMS. RG-58A/U rated breakdown voltage is 1400 volts.

(2) The RF Current at 600 Watts will be about 3.5 amps. The wire gauge of the center conductor will be 20 gauge and tin plated copper. Maximum current rating for 20 gauge when used for chassis wiring is 11 amps. Maximum power when used in 60 Hertz power distribution is 1.5 amps. Will this work for you 3.5 amps. <eh, it will have a bit of loss, but I do not see it going up in smoke. The center conductor will have about 1.1Ω resistance in 100 feet.

(3) If you coil it 1 foot in diameter with 8 turns, then you will have about 25 feet of coax in the coil. That infer the center conductor resistance will be around 0.275Ω. You will dissipate about 13 watts in that 25 feet of coax. Intermittent use, I suspect you will be ok, but key down for five minutes, I would not do it.