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Re: [TowerTalk] Antenna Separation to eliminate Computer RFI

To: "Pat Barthelow" <aa6eg@hotmail.com>, <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Antenna Separation to eliminate Computer RFI
From: "K8RI on Tower talk" <k8ri-tower@charter.net>
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 20:50:33 -0400
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
The signal will most likely drop off in a non linear and non circular 
pattern.
>From 100 feet your should not be picking up those computers, at least that 
has been my experience.  Of course there could be open cases, poor 
shileding, unterminated wires, and other reasons for the radiation including 
network cables running close to the antennas.

I'm only running 4 computers, but I can not hear them beyong 10 to 15 feet. 
The cat5e wired network cable runs with the coax cables and within 10 feet 
of the the tower base on it's way to the shop.

When I was in college (SVSU undergrad and CMU graduate) I could use my HTs 
right in the computer rooms although there were places in there where they 
would not work. After college I worked in with the computers at a large 
chemical corporation.  I had no problems even in the main computer room. In 
my office I had my HT setting on top of my monitor.   I did not hear 
anything on the HF bands more than a couple of feet from the computers and 
the whole place was a maze of network cables.


> Folks,
>
> I am helping a local university  bring up an HF station equipped with
> Winlink Modems and softare to use as a medium for teaching computer
> networking and security.   The station antenna  is set up in the main
> student and classroom computing center, on the roof, within 100 ft of 
> maybe
> 150-200 networked computers.  Surprise Surprise, S-9 white noise hash on
> most bands.

To me that is a surprise as I'd not expect to hear them that far from the 
computers.

> My question is, We need to have the Transmitter and winlink setup located 
> at
> a classroom teaching position, along side the HF station, but it may be
> possible to move the antenna some distance away from the building.  Is it

You need a portable HF rig to do some sniffing.  You probably have a problem 
with one or more pieces of equipment if you are hearing the computers from a 
100 feet even if there are a 100 to 200 of them.

> likely that a movement of the antenna from directly over the computing
> rooms, to, say 150 ft horizontally away will reduce the current noise
> sufficiently to be usable?  How rapidly does the signal intensity 
> decrease,
> as I move the antenna away from the building?

All bets are off when you have network cables running hither and yon as well 
as the possiblility of computers with the panels off, loose and unterminated 
wires, poor or non existent grounds....You may even find the antenna grounds 
are tied into the same lines as the computers which may be many feet from 
ground.

*Normally* the signal falls off with the inverse square of the distance, but 
in this kind of environment the best bet is to do some "sniffing" to find 
the source of radiation.

Good Luck,

Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com
>
> Thanks,
>
> Pat Barthelow    aa6eg@hotmail.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
> Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with 
> any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
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> 
_______________________________________________

See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather 
Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions 
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.

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