RF interference from inverter/link2000

[mlydon]

I have a Xantrex inverter with a link2000 control panel installed in my boat. While I don't detect it using my fixed VHF, I pick up some fairly heavy RF interference from it on my handheld. This regardless of whether the inverter is active or not.

Any suggestions on what I could do to get rid of it? magnets, sheilding, etc?

Thanks,

Matt

[colemj]

Getting rid of a Xantrex product is a very common and popular practice. I suspect you will get lots of ideas here

Mark

[btrayfors]

The Xantrex is radiating RFI from the box and, most likely, it's associated wires. Your fixed VHF antenna, presumably atop the mast, is much further from the RFI source than is your handheld, hence the interference.

You could try ferrites on both ends of all cables. You could also turn the squelch up on the handheld.

Unfortunately, there many "marine" electrical products which generate a lot of RFI.

Bill

[Mystic38]

are you suggesting that you get radiated interference from something that is not turned on?..

Or simply saying that in your installation the inverter is always on, just not providing inverted power.. ?

Originally Posted by mlydon

I have a Xantrex inverter with a link2000 control panel installed in my boat. While I don't detect it using my fixed VHF, I pick up some fairly heavy RF interference from it on my handheld. This regardless of whether the inverter is active or not.

Any suggestions on what I could do to get rid of it? magnets, sheilding, etc?

Thanks,

Matt

[btrayfors]

No. If there's no power to a device, including internal batteries, it's not going to create RFI.

I assumed your Xantrex inverter was an inverter/charger and you were saying you weren't using the inverter part of it. Sorry if I misunderstood.

Note that many devices these days have "soft switches". Normally, there's always power to the switch, just not past the switch unless it is turned on. Some devices with soft switches, like a couple of touch-to-turn-on small table lamps I once had, can create RFI even when they're "off".

How to tell? Turn off power at the breaker.

Bill

[Rick]

Unless you have "depowered" the Link 2000 the RFI has nothing (perhaps) to do with the inverter as Bill suggests. There IS always RFI with any product having a microprocessor that is active and if your Link 2000 is working there IS an active microprocessor. Just because a particular product meets various agency specifications regarding RFI does NOT mean that you might not suffer a contamination such as what you experience with a handheld VHF.

Again, Bill has it correct in that the handheld antenna is much closer, in the sense of the received magnetic field, to the Link 2000 than is your masthead mounted antenna and receiver. If you bring your handheld VHF near other instruments (almost ALL have active microprocessors these days) including switch-mode regulated LED lights you might notice a similar interference.

Regardless, there might be some things that could be done, as Bill suggests, to help the problem....your particular installation is different than any other installation which might not have a problem.
Rick

[CharlieJ]

You can use an inexpensive AM radio as an RFI sniffer. Tune the radio to an area on the dial with no stations present. Hear the nice static. Hold the radio's antenna close to the various equipment and listen for a change in the static to a squeal. That's RFI. Turn off the suspect equipment at the circuit breaker and retest with the AM radio for verification.

Finding a source of RFI is pretty easy. Mitigating it...not so much.