Designing and building a 2m low pass filter

I’ve been playing with the DRA818V modules that have been making quite a stir in the amateur radio world at the moment. I haven’t gotten one on a spectrum analyzer yet, but I have reason to believe that it will require a low pass filter to be RF legal. I’ll write more about that once I get a look at it, but figured I’d first built myself a low pass filter in case I need it (if not for these modules, but some other VHF project in the future).
My process for building a low pass filter went as follows:
Designing and building a 2m low pass filter

  • Select the type of filter and cutoff frequency desired
  • Look up normalized coefficients in the ARRL Handbook
  • Divide these coefficients by the cutoff frequency
  • Convert the inductances into turns on some core and capacitors into the nearest values
  • Build the filter.
Since I wanted this filter for 2m, the highest frequency I’m interested in passing is 148MHz, so I selected a cutoff frequency of 150MHz. In hind-sight, this was a poor choice, since a -3dB point only 2MHz above the band caused for a lousy insertion loss. A better choice would have been 10% higher than the top of the band, so 148MHz * 1.10 = 162MHz
I decided to build a 5 pole T configuration Chebyshev filter with 0.1dB of ripple.
 I’ve been playing with the DRA818V modules that have been making quite a stir in the amateur radio world at the moment. I haven’t gotten one on a spectrum analyzer yet, but I have reason to believe that it will require a low pass filter to be RF legal. I’ll write more about that once I get a look at it, but figured I’d first built myself a low pass filter in case I need it (if not for these modules, but some other VHF project in the future).
My process for building a low pass filter went as follows:
  • Select the type of filter and cutoff frequency desired
  • Look up normalized coefficients in the ARRL Handbook
  • Divide these coefficients by the cutoff frequency
  • Convert the inductances into turns on some core and capacitors into the nearest values
  • Build the filter.
Since I wanted this filter for 2m, the highest frequency I’m interested in passing is 148MHz, so I selected a cutoff frequency of 150MHz. In hind-sight, this was a poor choice, since a -3dB point only 2MHz above the band caused for a lousy insertion loss. A better choice would have been 10% higher than the top of the band, so 148MHz * 1.10 = 162MHz
I decided to build a 5 pole T configuration Chebyshev filter with 0.1dB of ripple.

About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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