[OKDXA] KT-34A

[Robert Redmon]

On 2/28/2010 5:58 PM, Kim Elmore wrote:
> Hi Bob
>
> I've already done that part and everything was fine until I checked
> today.  Nothing has changed for several years with my antenna set up,
> so I'm at a loss.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Kim N5OP
>
> At 05:48 PM 2/28/2010, you wrote:
>    
>> On 2/28/2010 3:59 PM, Kim Elmore wrote:
>>      
>>> On top of the power line QRN...
>>>
>>> I recently noticed that my KT-34A has a significant mismatch on 15 m:
>>> about 3:1. A week ago, I didn't have this problem. It still has F/B
>>> and seems to otherwise work OK. Anyone out there with any ideas as to
>>> what might have changed? I was hoping for a windy day so that I could
>>> check for loose hardware but, of course, we have a calm day. I don't
>>> see any changes when I rotate it, but I have to wonder of all the ice
>>> and wind has finally done it in. Note that it still seems perfectly
>>> fine on 20 m and 10 m, something I find odd because the 15 m traps
>>> have to be OK for that to be the case. The mismatch appears to be
>>> independent of frequency.
>>>
>>> Any ideas as to what might have changed?
>>>
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>>>        
>> Kim, I once had a KT34XA, and it wanted to couple with anything in the
>> air near it. If I had it turned so its elements were parallel another
>> antenna, it would always affect swr...sometimes severely. I gave up
>> trying to hang a dipole off the same tower because of that. I don't know
>> your situation, but if you have other antennas it may couple with, try
>> turning the KT34 while monitoring the SWR.
>>
>> 73, Bob
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>    
Okay, Ken Adams also had an XA at the time, and I remember he had a 
similar problem that turned out to be the 4:1 balun KLM used at the 
feedpoint. I don't remember which band had gone south, but I remember it 
was only one band. It was a real head scratcher. We had the antenna down 
and checked all the elements/traps/etc...All checked fine, but still the 
SWR problem on one band. Gary (W7FG) had a home brew 4:1, so we tried 
that (last resort), and it worked. We never knew what went wrong with 
the Balun. Ken just threw it into the trash and got a new one.

Bob