[TenTec] RFI question for Orion and other TT rigs

[Tommy]

I'm certainly not disagreeing with Gary...BUT

What is THE most important part of your ham radio system? In my 
opinion, it's your antenna. Why not build your antenna carefully and 
correctly to begin with, then buy your expensive radio's of your 
choice. It seems to me that if you follow the simple suggestions in 
the ARRL Handbook and design your antenna system so it is NOT some 
odd quarter wave length into your shack, you probably will not ever 
have to deal with the RFI issue at all? Isn't that why that 
information is in the Handbook?

In my short and active 53 years in the hobby, the ONLY time I ever 
had an RFI problem was when I had one end of my 80m dipole directly 
over the top of my house. Any power output greater than 500w and my 
Hercules amp would just go nuts! The ONLY solution necessary was to 
move the antenna about 10' further away from the house. I learned 
that little lesson by experience. Building a ham station that works 
well requires a little bit of knowledge and a LOT of common sense.

BTW, when your having 'strange' problems with a Ten Tec rig, one of 
the first things that Paul Clinton will ask you is "where is your 
antenna located?"

Tommy - W4BQF

At Tuesday 08:45 AM 6/28/2005, GARY HUBER wrote:
>One "easy" way to reduce the "RFI in your shack" is the old time 
>counterpoise. Just a quarter wave length of wire for each band, 
>connected at the ground post of your transceiver and then strung out 
>along the baseboard. I've used a multi-conductor cable, like rotor 
>cable, all conductors soldered together at the termination, but with 
>each conductor a different quarter wave length and the excess wire 
>removed. It works even when the ground rod below the desk doesn't.
>
>73,
>
>Gary - AB9M
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Tommy Alderman<mailto:aldermant at alltel.net>
>   To: 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'<mailto:tentec at contesting.com>
>   Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 9:52 PM
>   Subject: Re: [TenTec] RFI question for Orion and other TT rigs
>
>
>   Roy,
>
>   One of the best and easiest ways to avoid "RF in your shack" is to make
>   sure that one half the length of your antenna plus the total length of
>   your feed line is NOT an odd quarter wavelength long. The reason for
>   that is if that total is an odd quarter wavelength, you will have a
>   maximum voltage field in your shack. The second most easiest thing to
>   avoid is do not let the end of any of your antennas terminate directly
>   over your shack, as that too, is a high voltage field point.
>
>   Tommy - W4BQF