[CQ-Contest] RF tripping UPS

[Richard Zalewski]

Four days now and no problems.  Ferrite soved the problem.  Again I have a
6x2 switch at base of tower.  I put 2 clamp on ferrite beads on each coax
going in from antennas and 2 on the cables to the shack.  And...anything
that did not move got a ferrite bead on it.  Solved the problem.

Richard
*W7ZR* ex:5C5Z, CN2ZR, K2JSP, W6SBZ, W7KXR, K9ZIJ, W9KNF, W0KDF, W0MQU,
J68ZR, KC6ZR, PJ4/W7ZR, KH2,W7ZR, KH6/W7ZR, V31ZR, VK4AAZ, XE2DV


*Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer*


On Fri, May 31, 2019 at 12:14 PM Richard Zalewski <dick.w7zr at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Keeping fingers crossed but I put a couple of ferrite beads on the 80m
> coax where it enters the antenna switch at the tower.  For the moment
> (hopefully longer) no problem.  Thanks to all for suggestions.
>
> Richard
> *W7ZR* ex:5C5Z, CN2ZR, K2JSP, W6SBZ, W7KXR, K9ZIJ, W9KNF, W0KDF, W0MQU,
> J68ZR, KC6ZR, PJ4/W7ZR, KH2,W7ZR, KH6/W7ZR, V31ZR, VK4AAZ, XE2DV
>
>
> *Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer*
>
>
> On Fri, May 31, 2019 at 12:07 PM Jim Brown <k9yc at audiosystemsgroup.com>
> wrote:
>
>> On 5/31/2019 8:09 AM, Richard Zalewski wrote:
>> > Thanks for the replies and suggestions.
>> > The crazy part is nothing in the station physically has changed.
>>
>> Many of the old hands at this have also advised us to check every piece
>> of coax for issues with the shield. Damage to the shield,
>> poor/broken/deteriorated contacts at connectors.
>>
>> > I have a bus bar on the back of the operating desk and everything is
>> > bonded to it.  (Will check for tightness today).  Then there is a single
>> > conductor to 2 ground rods.  One of them I have to water (I am in AZ)
>> the
>> > other is next to a sprinkler so it stays moist.
>>
>> The earth is not a sump into which RF or noise is poured. What matters
>> most is BONDING -- ALL grounds in our homes MUST be bonded together.
>> That includes those rods outside the shack, the power entry, CATV,
>> telco, etc. The earth is a big resistor. Is that buss bar bonding to all
>> of those grounds? It must be. That bonding certainly should include the
>> UPS.
>>
>> Two references on this. N0AX's recent ARRL book on Grounding and
>> Bonding, to which I contributed. Second, these slides for a tutorial
>> talk I've done at Visalia, Pacificon, and to several clubs.
>> http://k9yc.com/GroundingAndAudio.pdf
>> >
>> > I have used multiple clamp on ferrite type 43 material where I can not
>> > wrap the conductor around a larger core.
>>
>> #43 material is not useful on 80M. #31 is the only Fair-Rite material
>> useful on the HF bands. Study http://k9yc.com/2018Cookbook.pdf
>>
>> >
>> > I am going into the power panel today and check the tightness of all the
>> > ground connections.
>> >
>> > The UPS I am using is not a top of the line but as I said I have used
>> this
>> > model for years.  When this started acting up I replaced it with a
>> similar
>> > model.
>> >
>> > I will advise if I find anything but sure appreciate the suggestions.
>>
>> Finally, what are you using for an antenna on 80/75M?  If it is a
>> dipole, there should be a good common mode choke at the feedpoint (that
>> is, up in the air). See that Cookbook for specific advice. Is it
>> "off-center" fed or non-resonant antenna fed with 2-wire line? Antennas
>> like this cannot be choked to keep RF off the feedline.
>>
>> Is it some form of end-fed wire, vertical or otherwise? If so, what is
>> the counterpoise for it? Radials? Something else?  A counterpoise
>> provides a path for return current. If we don't provide a good one,
>> mother nature will use whatever she finds, including the power system
>> wiring in our home. Which lights up our home with RF.
>>
>> 73, Jim K9YC
>>
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>