[Elecraft] Running high power

[Al Lorona]

Thank you for all your responses. I did not mean my question to solicit the thousands of ways of solving this problem, but merely a poll of hams' experiences running high power. Based on all of the private and public responses I received, it's about 50% who've had problems with consumer equipment and high power.

If the problems are caused by simple RF overload of the piece of equipment, I've never understood why balanced or unbalanced antenna systems make any difference. If your 1500 W signal induces a large interferer on the circuitry of your internet modem or garage door opener, the device has no idea whether you're using a Yagi or a dipole or a vertical or whatever. It's just being overloaded because it's in the near field of the antenna and has very poor rejection and filtering. You could have the best-balanced antenna system in the world and still get into a poorly-shielded modem, couldn't you? The interference isn't coming in through the wires, it's coming in through the air!

I tend to resonate with K9YC's assertion that there are a whole lot of devices out there that are designed badly, susceptible to the slightest overload. When I look at my own situation I notice that I have tons of devices that were completely unaffected. My telephones, lights, garage doors, overhead fans, smart thermostat, and many others-- all of which have RF circuitry to one degree or another-- were never bothered.

Taking the FM radio in the kitchen as an example, you could make the argument that since its whole purpose in life is to receive weak signals, that it's particularly vulnerable to a large HF signal. But not a single person mentioned that they've ever heard themselves coming through their FM radio. I must have the only cheap table radio in America!

Anyway, I envy those of you who told me, "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about." 

R,

Al  W6LX