DeWalt 611 Router Question

[Thomas McCurnin]

So I have a couple of these, and the router has a plastic piece near the three prong plug (actually two prong, I believe) which is about 3" long and an inch in diameter and has a hollow cylinder in the middle so it slides around on the cord.

Does anyone know what the heck this thing is for? I couldn't find it in the manual.501140

[John Lanciani]

It contains an RFID tag and serves no value post purchase, feel free to remove it.

Before anyone says it's a ferrite filter, it isn't. I remove every single one that comes into my shop (dozens now) and they all only house an RFID.

[Thomas McCurnin]

Bust it up with a pair of vise grips or machinist vise? Hack saw? Or is there some clever clip or latch on this rascal?

[Michael Burnside]

It contains an RFID tag and serves no value post purchase, feel free to remove it.

Before anyone says it's a ferrite filter, it isn't. I remove every single one that comes into my shop (dozens now) and they all only house an RFID.

Seems a hell of a lot more expensive way to deploy a useless RFID chip. RFID chips are easily applied with a sticker, why go to all that trouble in plastics and extra manufacturing cost?

I would say it is a ferrite bead/choke specifically for EM because Dewalt couldn't get it to pass FCC otherwise. The only issue you'd have removing would be possible interference with some other sensitive antenna within your work area.

[glenn bradley]

Good guess but the item shown in his pic is a ferrite bead. I suppose some manufacturers could also locate an RFID strip in or on the bead(?). It is simply a passive low-pass ceramic device that is present on many low voltage cables and some high voltage cables depending on the end device being served. There is no problem in removing it if it bugs you. Your worst after effect may be noise on the circuit on which the previously protected device is operating. As to whether you will notice the effects of the noise or not depends on what other items you have operating on the circuit. In a shop environment I have never noticed ill-effects due to removing the passive device.

[Cameron Wood]

Whack it with a hammer on the bench- it will break right off..

[Thomas McCurnin]

Simple and effective. Thanks!

[Michael Burnside]

Just wanted to follow-up on this thread because my original assumption was incorrect. My old Bosch router does have a ferrite wrapped around the cord, but I recently acquired this router as a lighter backup. The "dongle" just didn't look the same and felt much lighter in my hand. So, I ripped it apart with two channel locks and sure enough, it is 100% an RFID tag. If you take it apart you'll see the tag (can't see it when on the cord). I've got a pretty cheap RFID reader but it just read back garbage.

Anyway, if you have this and the bump at the end of the cord bugs you, rip it off :)

[John Lanciani]

Just wanted to follow-up on this thread because my original assumption was incorrect. My old Bosch router does have a ferrite wrapped around the cord, but I recently acquired this router as a lighter backup. The "dongle" just didn't look the same and felt much lighter in my hand. So, I ripped it apart with two channel locks and sure enough, it is 100% an RFID tag. If you take it apart you'll see the tag (can't see it when on the cord). I've got a pretty cheap RFID reader but it just read back garbage.

Anyway, if you have this and the bump at the end of the cord bugs you, rip it off :)

It's funny how assumptions work, isn't it. You're welcome.

[Bill Dufour]

I wonder if they made it look like it does to impress the buyers with a "high tech" machine. It must be better then one with just a sticker hidden somewhere. Just like adding racing stripes makes cars go faster, as does more chrome.
Bill D