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[TowerTalk] COAX connector heating

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] COAX connector heating
From: w9ol@billnjudy.com (FireBrick)
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 06:14:56 -0600
I NEVER load my amp higher than 900 watts output. I do a lot of rtty and
rtty contesting.
My antenna, a trapless yagi has a swr of less than 2.1 over the 10,15,20
meter cw/rtty contest segments and in most places barely shows any
reflected power at all.
The coax run to the antenna is approx. 100 feet.

I have a manual Delta-4 antenna switch.
On occasion, especially those long fruitless cq's in the wee hours of
whenever, I'll feel the coax connector from the amp to the switch is
warm.
Not hot, but definitely warm to the touch.
The coax connector from the common to the antenna coax may be warm but
nowhere like the amp to switch connector.
The switch is grounded via braid the ground rod just outside the
basement wall. A distance of 8 feet max.

The actual coax progression is: exciter >amp >inline wattmeter >coax
switch.
None of the other coax connectors from the amp or to/from the wattmeter
feel warm.

Is the heating due to a poor coax to pl259 connection?
Is this normal or is it something to concern myself with.




------------------------------------------------------------
If your advance is going well, you are walking into an ambush.
------------------------------------------------------------

Bill H. in Chicagoland
w9ol@billnjudy.com   FireBrick@telocity.com   w9ol@telocity.com




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