Topband: Buffaloed by a bias tee

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

On 1/22/2014 12:32 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote:
. However,
> as soon as I connect a 12V regulated supply to the bias tee - one of the
> little radio shack variable wallwarts - the measured R drops to 5 ohms
> and the X goes up to 19.

Possibly the current through the choke is saturating it.
If you connect the power supply but disconnect the load drawing
current, does the impedance go back to normal?  That would
clinch it.

For the choke, be sure that you are NOT using a toroidal choke.
It needs to be a solenoidal type wound on a ferrite rod.
Also, do NOT use "shielded" inductors.  Ferrite beads will
also saturate.  Most chokes you come across are the wrong
kind.  I just bought some chokes today.  They only had two
bins of suitable ones, out of several thousand bins of inductors.

45 uH is a little marginal, but doesn't explain your problem.
100 uH would be better.

Rick N6RK