[RTTY] Interesting Discovery

[Thom]

Well the rain has stopped and the wind has dried the roof and the swr on 
my dipoles are now 1:1.  Just like I originally tuned them.  Maybe the 
roof is not a sponge but definitely affecting the swr of those antennas 
when it is wet.  I read something about that in one of the antenna books 
I have.

and the propagation gods were not very friendly tonight.

73

Thom KI8W



On 12/2/2016 02:46, Thom wrote:
> So I have had some issues over the past several weeks that has 
> prevented me from entering the weekly NCCC RTTY Sprints. Tonight, all 
> was well with my station until I discovered something I find interesting.
>
> I heard no signals on 20, 40 and 80 meters.
>
> It was then that I heard the rain making a lot of racket on the metal 
> roof I have on the place where I live.
>
> Took a look at the SWR of my carefully tuned dipoles which normally 
> exhibit something very close to a 1:1 SWR.
>
> My SWR readings are near 8:1 right now and that roof is acting like a 
> great big RF sponge for incoming/outgoing signals.
>
> Not much I can do about it...I just find it interesting.
>
> my score in the Sprint was ZERO.
>
> I hope it does not rain this weekend.
>
> Finally, I think the reason I did not discover it earlier is normally 
> when it rains,  I am scrambling to disconnect a lot of antennas.  I 
> have had lightning strikes before.
>

-- 
73

Thom KI8W

"Living deep in the black hole of RF"