[CVCC] U must WRENCH it !

[Ed Hughes]

When E.F. Hutton spoke, we listened ! In that same vein, when W3LPL 
speaks, we need to pay attention. Happened across the following info by 
Frank (W3LPL), where he talks about procedures contest operators should 
always use. I guess it applies to all hams as well. The items he speaks 
to are "tightening PL-259s" and "how to adjust your rig for listening on 
the low bands". So, I guess if one can loosen a PL-259 by hand, it means 
the connector was not tightened enough when installed ! Darn, at 78, I 
am just learning this.


When listening on 160, 80 or 40  meters*_at night_* with an efficient
transmitting antenna such as a dipole:

The preamp should always be *_OFF_*
The attenuator should always be *_ON_*

*_Something is wrong_* with your antenna, receiver, coax cables or
antenna switching if you discover that you need to turn the preamp
on or the attenuator off on the low bands at night.

The best transceivers offer multiple levels of attenuation.  When the
attenuator is properly set, disconnecting the antenna will drop the
ambient noise level on 160, 80 and 40 meters by *_not more than_* 6 dB.

Atmospheric noise is usually much lower during the day on the low
bands.  The attenuator may need to be _*OFF*_**during the day**to achieve
a 6 dB drop in ambient noise when the antenna is disconnected.

The simple procedure of verifying a 6 dB drop in ambient noise floor
*_should _*_*be baked into*_ every proficient contester's and DXer's routine
operating habits.

*_You will be burned_* if you fail to use these procedures *_every time_*
you sit in front of your radio and _e_*_very _**_time_* you change bands.  I
can't tell you how many times W3LPL operators have failed to
verify proper receiver performance and they've paid the price with
disappointing operating results when they could have easily
discovered a receiving performance problem and corrected it quickly.

KD4D operated here last weekend in the WPX contest. Mark is a
very proficient contester and when he changed bands he immediately
discovered that the ambient background noise did *_NOT_*drop by at
least 6 dB on 10 meters.  All of the other bands were fine.

After some basic troubleshooting Mark discovered that he had failed to
follow a basic W3LPL prime directive: When he connected a PL-259
connector to the 10 meter antenna he _failed to wrench t_*_ighten_* the
PL-259.

Any *_finger-tighted _*PL-259 in your station is an invitation to bad
station performance.  All PL-259 connectors *_must be_* wrench
tightened to provide a reliable RF path for the coax shield.  It
should take only about 1/4 turn of your wrench.

Are all of your PL-259 connectors wrench tightened? *_No_* proficient
contester or DXers installs them finger tight... _*Never! *_

Every proficient station owner checks their PL-259s *_before every_*
*_contest_*to verify that he hasn't forgotten to wrench tighten one or
more PL-259s at some point before the contest. This simple
-- but necessary -- routine procedure takes just a minute or two in
most stations.

73
Frank
W3LPL