Topband: K3 NOISE ONLY ON 160m
My K3 developed an S2-3 noise level only on 160M. I was able to prove that this noise was being internally generated by the radio and was not external. At first, thought that it was being generated when the KSYN3 board for the sub-receiver began to unlock...every time the PLL voltage ran out of lock range the noise would start...or so it seemed. After servicing the offending KSYN3 board and solving the unlocking problem I also believed that I had solved the mysterious S2-3 noise on 160M. Unfortunately, even with the sub-receiver KSYN3 board now operating correctly, the noise intermittently returned, usually when I was attempting to hear a very weak DX station. Often the noise would begin very slowly after the radio had been on for a few minutes, build and remain. Sometimes switching off the K3 and leaving power off for several minutes restored proper operationsometimes not. Anyhow, I accidentally discovered (while working on something else under the hood) that pushing on the aluminum plate to which the two KSYN3 boards are attached would make the noise disappear and then come back, depending on which way I applied pressure. I had found the problem! I removed the board for the main receiver and cleaned all the contacts (Elecraft suggests changing out the pins for gold plated types which they will supply). I tightened the bolt holding the board to its mounting plate-it was somewhat loose. I re-installed the board and tightened down both machine screws after dabbing some NuTrol on the attachment points. Problem gone! Now when I ground the main antenna connector the receiver is completely quiet as it should be...no noise, no hint of noise...nada. Bill VE3NH _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Re: Topband: Out-of-Turn Callers
Perhaps the REAL problem began with the guys in the chat room urging him on when common sense would have dictated that he refrain from transmitting until K1N cleared the field for NA callers. I had my gut full of chat rooms when a topband friend was flamed morning after morning on the ON_by a few topband gurus. Perhaps this same crew urged KK6ZM on to call when he did when he otherwise might have waited. Too bad he was pilloried on the reflectorhe was only one of several who were guilty of a multitude of offenses last night and this morning. Bill VE3CSK _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: tool for install radials
I recall that Home Depot had a small walk-behind trencher for doing sprinkler lines. It rented for about $85 per day (this was 5 years or so ago) and I figured that I could do perhaps 40 radials 100+ ft in length in a full day as long as I did not run into rocks. The best deal turned out to be renting it from Friday evening until Sunday evening for $125. As it turned out, the store which had it stopped renting it a couple of weeks before I wanted it so I ended up laying the radials on the ground and scraping buckets of topsoil off the plowed field to cover them. I'm sure there are lots of places which rent small trenchers and vibrating plows for the DIY crowd. For those who might be interested in doing what I did and cover the wire with earth, it took about 5 cu yds of soil and a LOT of shovelling to cover 64 radials varying in length from 75 ft to 130 ft 2 deep and perhaps a foot wide. Bill VE3NH _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: FT5ZM SIGNAL
I have been listening several evenings now on 160M using my K3 in diversity mode with the TX vertical array on one receiver and a full-wave horizontal loop on the other. I have been struck by the often rapid change in the signal as received on one antenna or the other. As sunrise on Amsterdam approaches this shift becomes quite rapid, with the recovered signal bouncing back and forth ear to ear. Early on, before I began listening in diversity mode,I thought it was rapid QSB taking the signal down into the noise but now realize that it is the angle of the arriving signal which is rapidly changing over the path. No wonder some of the guys have been having problems copying/working the expedition on topband! Bill VE3CSK _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: OH0Z ON THE AIR
This morning OH0Z was very readable in EN93 from around 1205Z to about 1235Z but the guys further west and south must really have had a good path as they made it into the log in good numbers. I hope propagation favours us a bit further north and east in the next few daysI need that one! Bill, VE3CSK _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: NH0Z
Of course you all knew I meant NH0Z and not OH0Z! Brain cramp. Bill VE3CSK _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: CONNECTOR GREASE
When I first got into the 2-way radio business back in the 70s I obtained a lot of literature from both Motorola and General Electric, for whom I did sub-contract work. On the subject of installing base station antennas, both companies recommended that the connectors be flooded with vaseline before being sealed. Routine yearly maintenance testing showed no change in antenna system operation over the years, and when I had occasion to remove some of these antennas many years later there was no evidence of any problem with the connections. Granted, these base stations and repeaters operating in the VHF and UHF range ran at no more than 100 watts; however, if one were to expect a problem by flooding a connector with vaseline then surely it would have shown up at these frequencies. I guess you can take advice from any source you wish on this, but I doubt that reputable organizations like those cited above would have recommended flooding with a petroleum-based substance if they thought the practice would cause problems down the road. Bill VE3CSK _ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
Topband: COMTEK CONTROLLER
Can someone please advise me on the correct method of setting up a pair of verticals to be used with the Comtek phasing controller? I have heard two methods: (1) tune each vertical without the controller to approximately 25 khz below desired frequency with the second vertical disconnected (2) tune each vertical to approximately 25 khz below desired frequency with the vertical to be tuned connected to the controller, the second vertical disconnected and the analyzer fed through a random length of coax long enough to reach either vertical element. I recently acquired one of these units to try. I have a perfectly good working homebrew phasing controller with a good working phased pair, but I am a cat and curiosity has got the better of me! When I try method #1 I can get the SWR in either endfire position down to about 1.5:1 with broadside position at about 1.7:1. Using the second method I get about 1.2:1 end fire but 2.5:1 broadside. Also, using the second method my verticals, which were resonant at around 1805 when checked directly at the base of the antenna turn out to be resonant over 100 khz higher when measured through the Comtek box, and I needed to add some length to get the SWR down to acceptable levels. Anyone got some insight on this? Bill, VE3NH - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3343 / Virus Database: 3199/6396 - Release Date: 06/09/13 All good topband ops know how to put up a beverage at night. _ Topband Reflector
Topband: NUMBER OF RADIALS
FWIW, my original 160M vertical began life as a 40M antenna: three sections of lattice tower and 20 quarter wavelength radials. It then evolved into an 80M antenna with more tower sections and another 10 or so 67 ft radials. In its final form, it is 82 ft top-loaded on 160 with all the original buried wires plus 7 quarter wavelength radials fully buried in the pasture, another 8 deployed across a neighbouring field in winter plus 18 more wires of varying lengths laid on the back lawn (total of 63). All wire is plastic-coated, #22 to #16 in size. In late spring, summer and early fall before the temporary wires go down I have a nice wide bandwidth of about 110 khz between the 2:1 SWR points and a low SWR point at 1828. After I put down the 18 wires across the lawn the bandwidth narrows to about 100 khz and the SWR low point drops to around 1825. When the 8 quarter wave wires go down after plowing the bandwidth drops a bit more to around 95 khz and the low SWR point is close to 1820. The new antenna is the same height and has 64 buried radials varying in length from about 85 to 135 ft in length, all plastic coated. The 2:1 bandwidth on this one is about 90 khz. I really am not motivated to install more wire as the antennas, singly or phased together, seem to work quite well. Bill VE3NH _ Topband Reflector
Topband: COMMSCOPE CABLE
This company is indeed very reputable. I am using several hundred feet of flooded hard line from Commscope and it is well made. My 2200 ft reel came with complete specs and directions on preparing the ends for connector installation. I am sure if they put their name on RG-6 cable it is first class. Bill VE3CSK/VE3NH _ Topband Reflector
Topband: ANTENNAS, RADIALS and THINGS WHICH GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
I have been following this thread with great interest. Though I don't have or plan to have a vertical such as a GAP or Butternut, I have found all the information very enlightening, particularly everything about radial fields. Keep at 'er guys! 73, Bill VE3CSK ___ It is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatsoever for supposing it is true. #8212; Bertrand Russell
Topband: 3Y0IOF
DXpeditioners: Do you think you could take my word as a gentleman and enter me in your log now for a QSO on every band? Sure would save a lot of aggravation later. Bill VE3NH ___ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com
Topband: PREAMP/PRESELECTOR
Most Beverages don't require a preamp of any type, in my estimation. The shorter ones may need a bit of a boost but those over 500 ft seem to do quite nicely on their own most of the time. If you do believe that some amplification is necessary then 6-10 db is about all that you should consider using lest you overwhelm your front end and introduce more noise and garbage. Now, IF you need a bit of a boost, consider killing two stones with one bird. If you have a need to eliminate some noise, the MFJ 1025/1026 noise reducers have a bit of a preamp built in. It is just a few db but it might suffice. When I need just a bit of amplification I use the preamp built into my radios (PRO2 and K3). The preamps in both these radios appear to do a good job in my application (though I have no real idea what the REAL noise figure is). For loops and other RX antennas whose gain is -12db and beyond, an external 10-20db amplifier is desireable and there are a lot of choices out there, from the simple but effective W7IUV and KD9SV designs ( both of which I have built and use) to the more exotic designs by the likes of W8JI. I am referring only to amplification above. If you require selectivity in front of the RX antenna for any reason then that is a completely different situation and one of the commercially manufactured preamps with tuned input is desireable. IMHO anyhow. Bill VE3CSK - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.2197 / Virus Database: 2437/5223 - Release Date: 08/25/12 ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: TX ANT TO RX ANT COUPLING
I have been following the thread with interest. I have a K9AY and a DO loop located within 60 to 75 ft of the TX vertical at our summer home. Interestingly, I find both these antennas very quiet with no sign of noise being coupled to them via the TX antenna. I work a lot of DX from this location on topband using these loops as well as a pair of Beverages, both of which also pass fairly close to my TX vertical and both of which are very quiet. So, why am I not hearing this noise many are experiencing? The TX vertical is a 60 ft toploaded affair and I do not de-tune it on receive. All I have done is to run all the feedlines for both RX antennas and the TX vertical underground in different conduits to a remote switching location. Someone please tell me why I am missing out on all the fun of having noise on my RX antennas. Bill, VE3CSK - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.2180 / Virus Database: 2433/5075 - Release Date: 06/17/12 ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: BEVS ON SAME SUPPORT
Like ZL3IX, I also had very poor results with a Beverage travelling too close to a fence. F/B was bad but even worse was coupling of noise picked up by the fence. WRT a second Bev on the same post, 12-18 is far too close to space the two wires. I have several Bevs which cross at something other than 90 degrees and these antennas always seem to be less effective than those which do not cross another antenna. Even though unused Bevs are grounded, are not parallell and the crossings are seperated by a foot or more, there IS coupling which is reflected in slightly elevated noise and lower F/B. So, my suggestion regarding running Bevs in opposite directions on the same poles would be don't try it! Bill VE3CSK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: ELIMINATING STATIC CRASHES IN THE K3
I employ the marvellous control designed into the K3 to deal with such problems: the ON/OFF switch! Seriously, I use a full-wave loop working against a Beverage in diversity mode which knocks the crashes down considerably. RF cranked back a bit, CW filter set around 400 hz, DSP off. The QRN doesn't disappear but it becomes more tolerable. Bill, VE3NH ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: LACK OF BEVERAGES
The beverage is not the be-all in RX antennas! Those of us who have room put them up but they do not work well at all times. That is why I have erected a K9AY loop at my home QTH and both a K9AY and DO loop at the summer place. I also have a horizontal loop and am installing a pait of small verticals. These loops at the summer home are within 75 ft of my TX vertical and yet I see very little if any noise coupled into them from the verticalthey are incredibly quiet. I have worked a lot of 160M DX from this location, much of it in the summer as well as spring and fall weekends. Lack of space for a Beverage should not be the limiting factor, nor should the gurus who say that a K9AY or other loop must be a wavelength away from your vertical to avoid noise pickup. A horizontal loop strung around whatever shape you can manage at whatever height you can managea pair, trio or quad of loaded verticals spaced 1/8 WL, a BOG, a shielded loop or pennant, flag, EWE, slinky Beverage or whatever. They all work, some better than others, admittedly. But even listening on your inverted L some nights will bring you DX rewards...Glenn, VA3DX has NO RX antennas yet has some 250 confirmed on topband and Garry, VE3XN, also with an inverted L, has 200, proof that good ears, knowing WHEN to listen and HOW to listen trump WHAT you listen with. Bill VE3NH ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Re: Topband: Need advice for K3 and RX BC AM
I have the general coverage module in my K3 and I can report that it works very well on the BC band as well as MW. I do not have the AM filter but AM still sounds OK. Bill VE3NH - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1424 / Virus Database: 2113/4866 - Release Date: 03/12/12 ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: 160M CONTEST SCORING
Hey you guys-while you come down hard on the east coasters for looking east instead of west in the CQWW, don't forget to slam us Canookies-we get DX points for working all you fine fellas just across the border. Talk about skewed scoring! I'd love to see a lot more activity in the only level-playing field contest there is: the SP. Bill VE3CSK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: LOTW
As a matter of interest, my confirmed rate on LOTW is around 26% even though I upload all logged QSOs. I think this method of confirming a QSO is really great; however, with such a small percentage of hams using LOTW, it is still necessary to send out paper to obtain cards for awards. This is getting more expensive all the time as you all know-approaching $5 per card here in Canada for many entities, all costs in (including credit at ARRL). Bill VE3CSK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: CABLE AND CONNECTORS
It goes without saying that if one chooses to use cheap imported cable which has not been scoped then all bets are off. My earlier comments regarding RG-213 and RG-6 were based on the assumption that one would choose a reputable brand of cable (for which one pays a premium). Bill VE3NH ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: LONG PATH DX YESTERDAY
While many were hearing XU7ACY via long path yesterday morning, I heard stations to the west and south working JAs which I could not hear. I'd be interested in knowing if they too were worked via long path or direct. I listened both ways and while XU7 had a very copyable signal here, there was no sign of those JAs, 9M2 or DU1. Sadly, no QSO! I found my Beverages and K9AY loop not very good on the long path but had decent copy on the phased verticals working against the horizontal loop. XU7 was very poor copy this AMhope conditions get betterlike many I need that one! Bill VE3CSK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: BRUTE FORCE
As you get closer and closer to a series of poles you suspect might be the cause of your noise, take along an associate with a 20 lb sledge hammer. Have him whack each pole while you listen for a change in the sound of the noise. I can tell you that this method workssometimes too well. A friend who is now an SK once hit the suspect pole a good one with the result that the hardware and the line parted company with associated fireworks. Needless to say, that pole received a complete set of new hardware and the noise disappeared. 73, Bill VE3CSK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: PHASED VERTICALS
I have just completed installation of a second vertical to work with my first one, using the Christman feed method. Everything works well end-fire: very low SWR, about 3 S units F/B. But the bandwidth is MUCH wider than I had expected. Each vertical is 80 ft top loaded with three 36 ft wires each, the antennas are spaced 1/4 wavelength, each has 64 radials under it ranging in length from 40 to 135 ft, each shows a 2:1 SWR bandwidth of about 80 khz by itself when the other antenna is left floating. Both verticals show R=40-45 and X=5 with SWR 1.17:1 at point of resonance. The array in either end-fire mode is significantly broader than 80 khzmore like 150 khz or more. Is it possible that the top-loading wires are creating a mutual coupling situation which broadens out the response curve? Has anyone had a similar situation using phased top-loaded antennas? BTW the 1820 khz resonant point on each vertical rises to 1860 when the antennas are phased, and I believe this is a normal situation. Though I am feeding the antenna through a 50 to 28 ohm unun which seems to provide very low SWR on end-fire, on broadside the SWR is about 2.1:1, which is about what one would expect, and I am currently attempting to solve that problem. Any input on this would be most welcome. Bill, VE3CSK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: FRONT END PROTECTOR
I suppose some people who use full break-in want a complicated solid-state front-end protector. I don't use break-in and so a simple DPDT relay powered from your transceiver will do the job at almost $0. One side grounds the auxilliary RX antenna port on the transceiver while the other grounds the RX antenna feedline. Foolproof, and you always know if it is working since you can hear the relay kick in every time you transmit. I have been using one of these for many yearsever since my linear developed a mind of its own when RF started feeding back into the transceiver's auxilliary RX port. I've never had a problem and it protects the front end 100%. 'Course I'm a dinosaur 'cuz I don't use full break-in.but I suspect there are many like me!! Bill VE3NH/VE3CSK ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: SOLDERING RADIALS
I've been following this thread for the past few days with interest as I am just about to start installation of radials for another vertical. My connection point is a ring at the base made of 1/4 copper tubing and laid on the concrete slap which supports the tower base. This vertical will have 46 radials. All wire is plastic-covered copper-some is #14 house wire, some is #16 automotive wire, some is #18 hookup wire of various lengths but 1/4 wave where possible. What I do is prepare the copper ring first by thoroughly cleaning the tubing and creating solder points with a butane torch and regular 60/40 solder. Once all the radials are soldered to the ring (again using the torch and regular solder), I spray each connection with a good dose of outdoor paint. Sitting on the concrete, the ring is protected from the ravages of the soil. As each wire is insulated, its survival expectancy is quite long. No sign of any problems after many years of use. BTW, the other day I accidentally uncovered a radial which had been laid in 1989-not a sign of any breakdown in the insulating jacket. Bill VE3NH ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
Topband: COAX CABLE
I'm surprised that many posters are using RG-6 for really long runs of cable to RX antennas. I discovered about 4 years ago that the cable TV companies no longer use hardline-everything in the cities has apparently gone fibre optic. In many cases, the companies have reels and reels of both direct burial flooded hardline and unjacketed Aluminflex or similar for overhead runs. As there is no market for all this cable in my area, the only option is recycling, and because it is not pure copper or pure aluminum the cable is considered dirty wire and fetches something like $.20 per lb. I obtained a reel of each-1600 ft of flooded and 2200 ft of the other type. At some 375 lbs per spool, the total cost was a bit more than buying 1000 ft of good RG-6 and some connectors, and the loss is infinitely better. In addition, critters don't try to chew on it and if something happens to break the line a splice is easy to make. Connectors? What connectors? I mate the hardline with a short chunk of RG-6 by soldering the centre conductors and using a SS cable clamp to attach the shields. An upside-down plastic bottle is the weatherproofing (thank VE1ZZ for these ideas). At 1.8 mhz there is no mismatch measureable nor is the loss on my three 600 ft runs of any consequence. Bill VE3CSK/VE3NH ___ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
