[TenTec] Orion II 15 m CW Transmit Power Fluctuation

[Phil Sussman]

THE RF SNIFFER

That's why I built a little RF sniffer. Basically I took an cheap
FSM (eg. a diode, a cap, a variable resistor, an RF choke, and a 
1Ma meter) and used a small loop as an antenna.

No problem finding leaking cables, bad connectors, bad solder.
Just run the sniffer nearby and watch the meter shoot up when 
RF leakage is present. It finds 'holes' in shielded cable
caused by corrosion or lightning, even when covered by jackets.

73 de Phil - N8PS

---------

Quoting Richards <jruing at ameritech.net>:

> YES -- exactly my point... most guys check the main antenna
> cables, out to the antenna,  but not their jumpers between
> the tuner, switch box, meter, etc.  Some guys have lots of
> jumpers, from the rig to the amp,  the amp to a meter, the
> meter to the tuner, the tuner to a switch box, the switch box
> to a bulkhead adapter through he wall,  then the cable to the
> antenna starts.   Any of those could be problematic, but few
> guys look hard at them as causing RF in the shack because they
> are so short, I guess.    Heck ... YOU told me to check ALL
> my cables like that and it solved my problem !    ;-)
> 
> THEN if there IS a problem on a jumper, it would put RF in
> in the shack which the microphone or other accessory with
> a pin 1 problem could pick it up.
> 
> N'est ce pas?
> 
> ========================= JHR  =========================
> 
> On 4/29/2010 1:44 AM, Jim Brown K9YC wrote:
> > On Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:29:12 -0400, Richards wrote:
> >
> >> IF IT IS RF in the shack ... then it MIGHT show up
> >> even when using the dummy load.
> >
> > No, it should not as long as the shield of the coax goes to the
> > chassis and the coax is not trash. And so far, I've not seen the main
> > output connector on a ham rig that didn't straight go to the chassis.
> 
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