[TenTec] BC RFI, and fans (was Orion cooling)

[Rob Atkinson, K5UJ]

I've experienced the same thing here with my loop.  I'm 10 to 15 miles away 
from three clear (in name only these days) channel 50 kw broadcast station 
transmitter sites, all omni-directional with 1/2 wave towers, on 670, 720 
and 780 KHz.  When the open wire feed transmatch isn't tuned, my rig (a 
Kenwood) gets broad garbage big time on 75 meters from the station on 780 
KHz.  With the transmatch tuned for wherever I'm at on 75 the problem goes 
away for my purposes (ragchewing).  It would still be a problem if I were 
attempting weak signal work, but in my opinion, that's why God invented 10 
to 17 meters. BTW, no probs at all on the Omni VI.  Great front end.

Fans:  At a local drug store, the kind that sells all kinds of stuff in 
addition to drugs, I found the Cool Breeze fan, made by Collins 
International Co. Ltd., of Fair Lawn, NJ, item no. EB24303.  (No relation to 
the radio company Collins.)  This is a little 3" wide fan that runs off a 
regular 115 v. ac line, with a rotary switch in the line, is quiet, runs all 
day and comes mounted on a little stand with rubber feet so it won't walk 
around.  They were around $4 each.   I aim mine at various heat sinks when 
I'm ragchewing simplex on 2 m FM, or operating cw on HF.  SSB doesn't seem 
to heat anything up enough to need one.  Anyway, each one was about 1/4 the 
cost of a new muffin fan but you wouldn't want to try mounting one of these 
inside something--too dangerous--strictly for separate outside cabinet 
cooling.

Rob Atkinson
K5UJ

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