Topband: Front End Filters

[Dave]

About 15 years ago I built a switchable front end crystal filter, I was
going to market it but it was too expensive for the Ham market. It covers
1800 to 1850 in 5kHz segments with a slight overlap so that there are no
gaps, each section is a half lattice, the insertion loss is about 6dB but
that isn't a problem because I always have about -15dB of attenuation in the
receive path input. Nose bandwidth is 5kHz and about 8kHz at -20dB.  Lack of
noise blanker performance is not a problem because big signals make the
blanker useless anyway. I used it during contests when my rig was an IC781,
since changing to a more modern rig, an IC7851, the filter provides no
significant improvement. For working DX on a crowded band it is useful if
your rig does not have a good roofing filter.

 

HNY /MX

 

Dave AA0RS