[Lowfer] A noise source Found, and Fixed

[Andy - KU4XR]

Ohhh Maannn, I'm not gonna get to live that one down am I ;>}



Andy - KU4XR - EM75xr - Friendsville, TN. USA


--- On Thu, 3/17/11, Paul Daulton <k5wms at centurytel.net> wrote:

> From: Paul Daulton <k5wms at centurytel.net>
> Subject: Re: [Lowfer] A noise source Found, and Fixed
> To: lowfer at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Thursday, March 17, 2011, 10:56 PM
> Glad you could fix it without DUCT
> TAPE. 
> Paul k5wms
> 
> Quoting Andy - KU4XR <ku4xr at yahoo.com>:
> > This one has gotten by me for no telling how long..
> The PL-259 on
> > the antenna coax !! It has been 5 years or longer
> since I soldered
> > it onto the coax. Lots of moving around, bending,
> twisting and such
> > over the years. I found 2 problems with it.. The
> center wire had
> > come loose from the solder joint inside the center pin
> of the
> > connector. It was one of those " couldn't really
> notice it " deals,
> > and, the shield had corroded somewhat and wasn't
> making a solid
> > connection. Staying on the noise ridden low bands all
> the time, the
> > noise that it was causing wasn't catchable to the ear.
> But, I was
> > trying out WSPR on 10 meters the other day, and that's
> when I
> > discovered the bad connector end. I moved the watt
> meter a little,
> > and at the same time, heard this horrible crackling
> sound in the
> > speaker.. I wondered what it was, so I " jiggled " the
> watt meter
> > and the radio went crazy. When I found that it was the
> antenna coax
> > making the noise; I started inspecting the PL-259..
> Nothing appeared
> > to be wrong with it, but everytime I inserted it into
> the jack, and
> > " wiggled " the coax, the crackling static was there.
> I soon found
> > by moving the coax back, and forth inside the
> connector that I could
> > barely see the wire moving inside the solder..Since
> re-soldering the
> > connector, the noise has dropped 1 S-unit, and my SWR
> is now back on
> > the peg where it use to be. 160 meters is the quietest
> that I have
> > heard it, and just a very quick listen on 600 meters
> shows the same
> > reduction in noise level.. And unless the band
> conditions are just
> > exceptionally good tonite; my WSPR transmissions on
> 160 meters are
> > being received slightly better by the usual stations (
> better SNR ),
> > Actually, after comparing some past numbers to tonite,
> the SNR is
> > around 7 dB better on all the stations receiving me..
> Interesting
> > what a bad connector can cause... 
> >
> > 73 all:
> >
> >
> > Andy - KU4XR - EM75xr - Friendsville, TN. USA
> >
> > LOWfer Beacon " XR "
> >
> > Coordinates:  N:  35º 43' 54" - W: 
> 84º 3' 16"
> >
> > http://www.myspace.com/beaconxr
> >
> > http://ku4xr.webs.com
> >
> > http://lwca.org/community/YaBB.pl
> >
> > *** The 5 most important words ever spoken ***
> >
> > http://ku4xr.webs.com/5mostimportantwords.htm
> >
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> 
> Paul Daulton K5WMS
> beacon WMS 185.302 khz qrss30/slow 24/7
> Jacksonville,Ar 72076
> em34wu
> 
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