Topband: [Topband] Antenna analysers in close proximity to BC station
Pete Smith N4ZR
n4zr at contesting.com
Sat Nov 3 11:00:38 EDT 2012
I just lugged my TS-930 out to the tower base. It took all of 5 minutes
to set the Omega match where it needed to be.
I wonder what these BC stations run at night - my local one on 1550 runs
a KW daytime and 6 watts at night. Single 6L6?
73, Pete N4ZR
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On 11/3/2012 10:48 AM, Doug Grant wrote:
> I had the same annoying problem when troubleshooting my 160M phased
> vertical array. Using the MFJ259, neither vertical seemed to have a
> j=0 point anywhere near the 160M band, and the readings jumped around
> a bit. I concluded that it was AM BC interference. There is a local
> station on 1490 a few miles away across salt water, with both analog
> and digital signals, and the transmitter is apparently not adjusted
> well for the digital, since the signal is very wide.
>
> I tried the MFJ filter and was not successful (if anyone wants to buy
> it, contact me off list).
>
> I was able to borrow a vintage General Radio RF impedance bridge from
> a local guy, and it worked great. I used my MFJ259 as the signal
> source and IC706 as the detector. I could tune the box to drop the
> detected signal from pinning the meter to nearly inaudible and read
> the R and X to within an ohm easily. Got both verticals to resonate at
> 1830 (originally one was at 1800, one at 1920 or so). Turned out that
> one was about 30 ohms, and one was about 60, which puzzled me.
> Numerous experiments using the GR box to corroborate models led me to
> figure out that my tower was coupling significantly to the "60-ohm"
> element, and I was able to eliminate that problem.
>
> I later found a GR box for sale and bought it.
>
> I suppose one of the newer fancy VNA boxes would also work after
> calibration for any filters inserted, but I like old stuff and don't
> mind a little calculator or Excel work. I tried unsuccessfully to
> persuade a couple of manufacturers to make an updated (lighter,
> smaller) version of the GR box.
>
> 73,
>
> Doug K1DG
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> Topband reflector - topband at contesting.com
>
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