With all the recent talk about remore antenna switches, I'd like to hear what everyone else is using for this task. Sounds like the Ameritron switches are prone to dirty contacts, etc. but what about
Chuck, a few years ago I did a survey on towertalk, the summary of which is, I think, still available on KA9FOX's web page. The bottom line was that nobody had very much trouble with any of them, and
I have had the Top Ten Band Decoder with Tower Mounted Switch...works great. Band decoder and switch is run by the PC using WIN-EQF. Great combo. BTW, WIN-EQF has features some of the others don't. 7
The new Ameritron RCS-10 uses sealed relays. I got one of the first ones and that was only a couple of months ago. It seems to perform very well, as expected, and should outlast the older designs wit
I' ve got one too--been using it several months--it appears to be well designed and built and works great. It easily handles 1500 watts. 73, Kent - K4MK
Author: thompson@mindspring.com (David L. Thompson)
Date: Sat Feb 1 15:03:38 2003
The two best remote amtenna switches I have seen are : 1. The Antenna Mart Antenna switch ...you can buy from WB4GNT at MGS, 2. The HOFI Remote SWitch that is rated to 500Mhz. HOFI has a web site but
One should take care of the environment where the relays are used .......... I had the experience years ago with unsealed tricle charged battery in the same room. It took me a long time before I foun
Author: rmoodyg@bellsouth.net (Richard M. Gillingham)
Date: Sat Feb 1 21:49:24 2003
I've been using my Heathkit SA1480 continuously for the last 20 years... But... No amplifier. 100 Watts Blew a fuse in a lightning strike about 10 years ago. Okay by my lights. Gil, W1RG
The only thing that is at all problematic to me is that with that design, you may have up to 3 sets of relay contacts in the signal path, compared with one set for traditional relay boxes such as the
Chuck, I have been using an Ameritron RCS-8V for 6 or 7 years and have never had a problem. I did build a metal cover for it out of 12 or 14 gauge steel. I thought it might help with stray RF and als
I made my own switch box. I used 10 amp Radio Shack relays. I have had one relay burn up on me when I was having trouble with one of my mono banders, and I burned the insulator on an SO-239 when the
I am trying to design something similar. Have you measured loss? How do you think these would do at VHF/ low UHF freqs? Has anyone tried these at higher freqs? 73 Skip (KG4QDZ) -- Original Message --
Homebrew switches using relays do not fare well at VHF, and less so at UHF. Relay and wiring reactance takes over pretty quickly. Even using small form factor relays interconnected by a good circuit
Author: ve6jy@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca (VE6JY Don Moman)
Date: Tue Feb 4 14:15:48 2003
I would suggest using the encapsulated sealed relays such as the Potter and Brumfield RKS-5DW-12 (about 8$ in Canada) or the lighter rated - and cheaper ($C2.50) Aromat JS1E-12v. Both have given exce
[Steve Katz] Hi Sherm, I looked at the photos and I don't see why this design would work at VHF or UHF -- lots of series inductance shown there (buss wiring between rotary switch and SO-239 connecto
Hmmm, -- who told you that? I have a home-brew I bought from an old-timer a year ago or so, and it works swell! I've swept it's frequency w/ MFJ 259 .. and put in/out into dummy ... NO loss detected,
Hi Mark, Nobody told me anything, I make my own measurements on relays and switches using a network analyzer. My comments about poor performance specifically related to VHF-UHF, not HF. I use a c. 19
Author: Bill Otten" <res0958z@verizon.net (Bill Otten)
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 22:07:35 -0500
I've recently begun installing the PolyPhaser flange mount coax blocking protectors (IS-B50HU-C0 ~ Broadband dc Blocked Protector for Freq. Range: 1.5-400MHz, and IS-B50LU-C1-ME ~ Broadband dc Blocke
Hello Bill: I use Array Solutions Rat Pak and it works great. Just use some rotator cable to wire it and provide DC. It gives 6 antenna choices (6 pack - duh). It may necessitate further lightning pr
Hi Bill, Why use a DC blocked protector? The DC blocking will do next to nothing for lightning protection if it passes HF signals without a SWR bump. Lightning is a time-varying pulse, not DC. The DC