[CQ-Contest] RF tripping UPS

[Richard Zalewski]

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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