[K3PZN-List] HELP REQUESTED..

Mon Feb 13 21:57:11 EST 2012

Well I worked barefoot a lot too when the sunspot cycle was at the bottom but now the noise is too high 

for too much of that although I did work a south american station about 2 months ago with 100 watts.. just a fluke 

I use an inverted L for receive/transmit .. but I have a beverage for receive as well.. a necessity as the sunspot 

cycle nears its peak.  It also allows me to work stations on occasion this summer when the noise is high. 

I had almost 100 confirmed about 15 years ago but I will be damned if I can find the cards anymore.. guess I got 

way too much junk 

J 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Curt Milton" <wb8yyy at yahoo.com> 
To: "Carroll County Amateur Radio Club" <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 9:39:35 PM 
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] HELP REQUESTED.. 

Jim 

Best wishes in figuring this out, with or without a Megger (if one exists in Carroll County ...).  

Need an amplifier on 160m?  Well it all depends on patience - and propagation.  I confess in discovering 160m I have thought about an amplifier -- meanwhile I have worked 67 entities with 100 watts and a 'tiny' 36 foot tall vertical.  At times 100w will fly off the antenna across the ocean like its 20m - while at other times the RF seems like it is weighed down to barely leave my yard.  (KP2BH - is Martti in our hemisphere?  no because he can't hear me tonite it must be someone else).   

I did give a presentation to the club a while back on 160 and 6m DX -- the 'enemy' of this folly is work - but its a necessary one - and still DX can be had on occasion on these contrasting wavelengths.  

So are you using a receiving antenna there? 

Stay warm until its convenient to fix the antenna system - there is always 6m in the Spring.  

CUL Kurt (a la DL not G perhaps ...) 

________________________________ 
 From: "wa3mej at comcast.net" <wa3mej at comcast.net> 
To: Curt Milton <wb8yyy at yahoo.com>; Carroll County Amateur Radio Club <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2012 10:48 PM 
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] HELP REQUESTED.. 

Kurt, 

Thats exactly why I need a megger.. I believe it is either a cable or connector problem... of course it could also be the antenna shorting out somewhere up in the air and I cant see it... The megger will tell me where it is if I test each of the component pieces by themselves... ie the trunk out of the house. the feed through connector on the outside box and the line from the box to the antenna.  Finally I could test the antenna itself.  BUT instead I have to put a 1kw dummy load on the end of the line and test it with the amp... possibly with disasterous consequences if I am not fast enough and the SWR goes high enough really fast. 

Ref the DX on 160.. yeppers it is there often at sunset.. sometimes around midnight to 1am and then around sunrise.. I have worked nearly 40 countries since 1 Dec and now have 17 confirmed  over the same period. But ya need an amp to do it. 

By the way.. not sure if I resent the message after it bounced on here but I did get the problem with AC noise on 160 fixed.. AND guess where it was.. next to the big tower on 140.  Soooo Pete gets the prize for getting right. 

Jim 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Curt Milton" <wb8yyy at yahoo.com> 
To: "Carroll County Amateur Radio Club" <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2012 10:19:53 PM 
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] HELP REQUESTED.. 

Jim 

Now you have me thinking that maybe your coax or related hardware is breaking down at high power?  Not that I have any experience above 100 watts.  I don't know if there is a practical means other than replacing hardware to troubleshoot - particularly if no one has a MEGGER.  If you are a PVRC member perhaps try the reflector.  

I did learn recently that operating on 160m after midnight local is a nice time to work Eu!  

73 Curt 

________________________________ 
 From: "wa3mej at comcast.net" <wa3mej at comcast.net> 
To: Carroll County Amateur Radio Club <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2012 10:00 PM 
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] HELP REQUESTED.. 

Bill, 

  Thanks for the offer but the problem is somewhat more insidious than just a simple cable problem.. it only happens when running full power not at the 100 w level. 

j 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Bill Mellema" <mellema at qis.net> 
To: "Carroll County Amateur Radio Club" <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2012 7:27:52 AM 
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] HELP REQUESTED.. 

Hi Jim, 

I have a portable TDR you can use...it will pinpoint the problem for 
you....if you would like to use it give me a call...410-861-8199. I will 
be home later this morning and then until after lunch today.. 

73's 

Bill  N3WM 

On 2/11/2012 10:51 PM, wa3mej at comcast.net wrote: 
> 
> Does anyone have a MEGGER or a HV breakdown tester?  I am having a problem with a piece of cable or connector and want to 
> 
> isolate the problem so I can get on with working DX on 160? 
> 
> 
> 
> If  I cant find a MEGGER I will have to test it the hard way. 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks 
> 
> 
> 
> Jim 
> 
> 
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