[Antennaware] symptoms of balun saturation?

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

Quite possibly you are experiencing dielectric heating of some component of
the antenna itself, and are losing connection when some part gets hot
enough. Most of those kinds of antennas do not really handle QRO.  Water
getting into some part of the antenna would tend to increase dielectric
heating, besides simple detuning, as would any of the water invasion modes
mentioned in an earlier post.

If you were shorting out somewhere, those tend to establish breakdown points
with carbon traces that stay shorted until disassembled and repaired.

73, Guy.

On Sun, Jul 12, 2009 at 4:48 PM, Art Trampler <atrampler at att.net> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
>
>
> I have an AV640 vertical from Hy-Gain, which is about 18' off the ground at
> the feed point.  Overall I have been satisfied with its performance, which
> has generally met or exceeded (apparently realistic) expectations.
>
>
>
> My chief complaint comes with respect to QRO.  When running a KW or more
> into it (fed with LMR400, about 125'), my SWR will initially stay flat.  I
> am a CW operator and after two or three ragchew exchanges the SWR will
> begin
> to increase a bit, and then suddenly go high (8:1 or better).  It seems
> that
> this happens more frequently if it is damp/has been raining.
>
>
>
> Can you help me understand what is likely going on?  Is this likely a
> symptom of balun core saturation which is somehow related to heat, rather
> than simply the power/magnetic flux?
>
>
>
> Or is it more likely this has something to do with the RF choke from the
> vertical element used to give a discharge path for static electricity?
>  That
> choke is 470uh, .3 amp.  Is there any reason not to replace it with
> something of greater current handling capability, and is the inductance
> critical (would 500uh work just as well?).
>
>
> Thanks for your replies.
>
>
>
>