[CVCC] U must WRENCH it !

[k4oso]

Hmmmm!  I won’t be wrenching mine. 
Milt k4oso

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 3, 2020, at 8:14 AM, Ed Hughes <kg4w at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> 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
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