Re: Topband: Soldering in the wild!

I believe the whole idea of the split bolt is that, properly tightened, it exerts enough pressure to crush through any existing corrosion and make a joint that is too tight for corrosion to intervene. 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, at www.conteststations.com The Reverse Beacon

Re: Topband: Interference with DSL, etc.

Groan years ago, I had a T-1 running to a teleconferencing center I managed - over $1000 a month for 24 64-Kb channels, IIRC. Surely there has to be a better way in most places, if only cable Internet. I get 13 MB down, 2.5 MB up from Comcast, on their mid-grade "performance" service. No

Topband: Connector Integrity was: Re: Mother of all ferrite common-mode coaxial chokes

Interesting point on phono plugs. I wonder if it would be useful to use one of the Caig Labs chemicals on those shells to enhance their contact with the jack. They certainly work well on my Cinch-Jones plugs when they start to get flakey. 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, at w

Re: Topband: Progress with ugly computer noise

FB - that explains the semi-circular arrow between the two inductors on the schematic - I wasn't familiar with the notation. I don't know the whys and wherefores, so I just picked the most elaborate of the several filters they showed on the catalog page - as I recall, it cost around $10 plus s

Re: Topband: Progress with ugly computer noise

Qualtek makes a neat little filter designed to replace the power input connector on a noisy supply. It fit into mine - one of those with the jumpered filtering components - and completely suppressed any audible noise. According to the schematic on the side, it consists of 2 x 2.5 mH indutors,

Re: Topband: Noise in the Shack - A new noise!

Don't be too quick to give up on the idea of solid state drives, Greg. I know several active hams who have had these installed for some time without any of the problems you experienced. There's no logical reason why these drives should be any more or less noisy than any other memory in your c

Re: Topband: TX ANT TO RX ANT COUPLING

Doesn't this suggest that there is a role here for cut and try? Take a set of clip leads to the base of the tower and experiment? 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, at www.conteststations.com The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.c

Re: Topband: radial wire source

and then there's the 6000 ft spool of insulated, tinned #16 that I found at the Dayton flea market for $20. It'll probably outlast me. 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at rever

Re: Topband: Deterring Critters was:Re: How Good is Good Enough?

e serious doubts > about England. > > Coyote urine may "work", but it did not keep my feedlines from being > chewed by (eastern) Grey Squirrels that have displaced the native brown > units. > > Garry, NI6T > > On 3/12/2012 1:01 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote: >&

Topband: Deterring Critters was:Re: How Good is Good Enough?

) urines suggests that if > canids are not the local predator of interest--coyotes in England?--it > may not work. > > Garry, NI6T > > On 3/12/2012 6:15 AM, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote: >> Two words - coyote urine. Seriously the local Southern States >> sells a critter

Re: Topband: How Good is Good Enough?

Two words - coyote urine. Seriously the local Southern States sells a critter repellent based on dried coyote urine. In our case, the biggest critter problem with my BOG so far has been deer - tangle-footed beasts! 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.con

Re: Topband: How Good is Good Enough?

This is exactly why I got to looking at BOGs - I lack the space in a Northeasterly direction (Northwest too, for that matter). Mine is 220 feet, as suggested by some experiments with the resonant frequency of a dipole laid on the ground to derive a velocity factor - a technique suggested by K2

Re: Topband: Signal pickup mystery

Replies interspersed - thanks for all the ideas. 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com, spots at telnet.reversebeacon.net, port 7000 and arcluster.revers

Topband: Signal pickup mystery

Please pardon my repeating myself, but this thing has really got me buffaloed, and I've found that this is the place where the most knowledgeable people about this sort of thing hang out I am feeding DC down my feedline to the ARR preamp in the RX antenna hub, and also to the relays and the log

Topband: How Good is Good Enough?

I have about 350 feet of quad-shield RG-6 going out to a receiving antenna hub which has a 20-db ARR preamp on the end of the line, followed by an 8-way relay switch. The feedline is lying on the ground, or more correctly on the stubble of a mowed hayfield. At the moment, it has only one BOG

Re: Topband: Fwd: RE: KP4TE QRP?

Gotham antennas actually were pretty straightforward but incredibly flimsy implementations of standard theory, no Barnum involved. IIRC, this vertical used a piece of B&W Miniductor and an alligator clip to change bands. You *could* use it without guys, until the first wind over 15 MPH. 73,

Topband: 8-way RX antenna switch

For those who asked, the Ebay item is -- 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at reversebe

Topband: Wired/wireless Beverage hub progress.

I hooked up the hub today, and initial results are excellent. For those who missed earlier messages - here's the story. I ran across an inexpensive 8-way relay board on E-bay for less than $20. It is controlled by a 300-MHz radio remote, and I figured I might be able to use it for remote swit

Topband: ZJ Electronics Beverage Box and Power Supply - Help Needed

I am trying to repurpose a ZJ Beverage Box's DC power coupler to support a Beverage hub with remote preamp, and have run into a problem. The DC supply is extremely "un-stiff." With no load, it delivers close to 25 volts, while under minimum load it quickly drops to only about 9 volts. Add a

Re: Topband: Receiver protection using PIN Diode technology

reversebeacon.blogspot.com, spots at telnet.reversebeacon.net, port 7000 and arcluster.reversebeacon.net, port 7000 On 2/1/2012 11:51 AM, Missouri Guy wrote: > > On Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:16:25 -0500 Pete Smith N4ZR > writes: >> Quite by accident, in leafing through K9AY's new magazine. >

Topband: Receiver protection using PIN Diode technology

Quite by accident, in leafing through K9AY's new magazine I ran into a reference to a surface-mount PIN diode designed specifically for receiver protection. It begins to block signals at +10 dBM, and works by quite a different mechanism t

Topband: Transformer isolation vs common mode choke was: Re: T Vertical feed

Someone recently commented in favor of using transformer isolation in lieu of a common mode choke in a receiving application. I presume this would be a 1:1 transformer using a binocular core, or at least completely separate primary and secondary windings. What are the pros and cons of this id

Re: Topband: Where to place a preamp? Switching Beverages?

Thanks, everyone, for too many good inputs to list here. A lot of good ideas, both for experimental approaches and for the final configuration. At least for experimental purposes, I will go with the preamp in the shack and, assuming that my feedline is not quiet, significant improvements in m

Topband: Where to place a preamp? Switching Beverages?

Having totally struck out raising this topic on Towertalk, I'm bringing it here in the hopes of getting some solid advice. I have a 20 dB ARR preamp of the type praised by ON4UN in his book. I want to use it with a variety of RX antennas - loops, BOGs, etc. - that have very low output levels.

Topband: ZJ Beverage Box

I have one of these that I want to refurbish for use as an antenna-end preamp for a Beverage on Ground (BOG) RX antenna. I believe the MMIC amplifier in it is fried, but I do not have any documentation on the unit. Can anyone help? -- 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, update

Re: Topband: Some Success

I would try to find that sweet spot first, because if you're like me, you never will. I have stacked tribanders, a 2-el 40-meter beam and an 80 meter lazy-v array all on one tower. I modeled the thing and found where (supposedly) the 50-ohm point would be. After about 5 trips up and down the

Re: Topband: ARRL 160M Test Comments

I'm not sure if WC1M reads this reflector, but a small suggestion - make that "write to your ARRL Director", rather than the Contest *Advisory* Committee. 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeaco

Topband: Evaluating RX antennas

I just laid down a BOG and would like to evaluate its directivity. In the absence of a calibrated signal source for real pattern measurements, how do you go about this? -- 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com The Reverse Beacon Network at

Re: Topband: Small loop in Inv L to secure wire to tower

Sure, you can do that, Dan, but a better solution, IMO, is to run a pull-up rope loop through a pulley at the top of the tower. That way, you can attach the insulator at the corner of your inverted L to the rope right above the pulley, and in the event of any problem, you can bring the whole a

Re: Topband: RFI

You might want to try this on the r...@contesting.com reflector. In the meantime, how high in frequency can you hear this. Can you see it on a panoramic display? 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com The Reverse Beacon Network at http://rev

Re: Topband: RF attenuators

I highly recommend the articles by Jack Smith, K8ZOA on the Clifton Labs web-site. One title talks about 6 dB splitters, but there is much more test data there, including tests of a TV splitter. See and

Re: Topband: Anyone using a DX Engineering DXE-ARAH2-1p active dipole antenna?

Did you try heavy common-mode choking? I am using an 8-foot Clifton Engineering active antenna on over 200 feet of feedline, and find that 10 turns of RG-58 on a big Type 31 core, placed at each end of the feedline, make all the difference. 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, up

Re: Topband: CAT5 cable as feeder for reversable Beverage

FWIW, I have several runs of outdoor-rated CAT-5 cable to and from my tower. It is flooded and has a tough jacket to help stave off the chipmunks. 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net,

Re: Topband: Switching Beverages

Thanks to everyone who responded. Lee's answer seems representative of the bulk of the mail I received. Back to coax switching! 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at reversebea

Topband: Switching Beverages

If I have a Beverage "hub" from which I want to run several of them, is there any reason not to do the switching on the antenna side of the matching unit, rather than on the coax side? Could save some complexity, a couple of matching transformers at least. -- 73, Pete N4ZR The World Contest

Topband: Better F Connectors

I may be the last person on this reflector to catch on to compression F connectors, but just in case - these things are so much better than the classical crimp as to defy comparison. I have never been able to make a good connector installation on quad shield RG-6, but with the Ideal 33-633 cri

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