Unlocking Wideband Phasing in Amateur Radio with Modern Ferrite Materials
In the world of amateur radio, phasing networks and hybrids are essential tools. They allow us to combine or separate signals, steer reception patterns, and achieve techniques like circular polarization or directional nulling. Traditionally, these systems relied on coax delay lines or narrowband transformers. But now, thanks to advances in ferrite technology — particularly nanocrystalline and amorphous core materials — it's become easier than ever to build wideband, stable, and compact phasing solutions.
Why Ferrite Materials Matter
Ferrite cores are the heart of any transformer-based hybrid or balun. The type of ferrite determines how much inductance you get, how flat the frequency response is, and how much loss you experience across the bands. Classic ferrite materials (like type #43 or #73) have served us well, but they come with limits:
- Narrow usable bandwidth
- More turns required
- Greater variation with temperature and loading
Modern materials like nanocrystalline ferrite solve many of these issues. With extremely high permeability and low loss, they allow you to wind fewer turns and still achieve high performance over a wide frequency range — typically 1 to 10 MHz, covering 160m to 40m with ease.
⚠️ Note: These cores are primarily intended for receive-only applications or light transmit use (e.g. up to 100W ICAS). They are not suitable for high-power transmission (QRO), as they may saturate quickly and overheat when used in transmit paths. However, we’re currently exploring new design concepts and plan to conduct experiments and lab measurements to investigate their potential for higher-power applications. Once testing is complete, we’ll publish a dedicated article sharing our findings.
What This Enables
With these new cores, amateurs can now build:
- 90° hybrids that work across 160/80/40m with minimal phase error
- Broadband 180° combiners or phasers for receive arrays
- All-in-one LH/RH switchable systems for circular polarization
- Compact and stable baluns that don’t drift with temperature
Even complex systems like 4-square or 9-circle receive arrays become easier to build when you don’t need band-specific coax phasing lines. In receive-only applications, the risk of core saturation is minimal, so performance stays consistent even with small cores.
Real-World Benefits for Hams
These new materials mean:
- Fewer components, less tuning, less fiddling
- More stable hybrids and baluns for multiband use
- Easier experiments with phasing, steering, and diversity
- Compact designs that fit in small enclosures
For example, building a hybrid on nano-core with just 12 trifilar turns can give you stable 90° phase shift from 1.8 MHz all the way up to 10 MHz. That's unheard of with older materials.
The Bottom Line
Modern ferrite materials like nanocrystalline cores are a game-changer for the ham who wants to build smarter receive systems, efficient hybrids. They simplify construction, reduce trial and error, and deliver rock-solid performance across the bands.
If you’re planning your next phased array, transmit loop, or balun project, it might be time to move beyond traditional ferrites — just be sure to test thoroughly and observe how they handle power dissipation and saturation!
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Written by Joeri Van Dooren, ON6URE – RF, electronics and software engineer, complex platform and antenna designer. Founder of RF.Guru. An expert in active and passive antennas, high-power RF transformers, and custom RF solutions, he has also engineered telecom and broadcast hardware, including set-top boxes, transcoders, and E1/T1 switchboards. His expertise spans high-power RF, embedded systems, digital signal processing, and complex software platforms, driving innovation in both amateur and professional communications industries.