Topband: My beverage only hears static?

[terry burge]

Thanks to all,


I have just swapped out the  coax with new RG-6 and it makes a world of difference. On  160 mtrs there isn't hardly anything to judge by since signals if they are there are so low. I tried the broadcast band and the beverage is now working. Just how well is hard to tell.


One 80 mtrs I was copying a qso between two stations, one who was about 59+10/15 over. When I switched in  the beverage he went way down to about S-1 to S3. I could still copy the stronger of the two stations but the S-9 one I could not copy at all on the beverage. Just going from background of S-7 and switching to the beverage I go down to S0/1. 


I think I'm going to try a preamp on this beverage. Think my 35-40 dB preamp for the Waller-Flag might suffice if I cut the gain back a ways. 


But the bottom line is the problem appeared to be old RG-6 coax. Like Gary is saying, it will take some time to be sure. If I can hear the Europeans on 3.799.0 tonight you can bet I'll have a smile on my face. As usual this job took me about 5 times as long as anyone else. My building antennas or about anything seems to work out that way. But I'm retired, what else do I have to do with my time. Right?


Thanks for the help.

Terry

KI7M


> On January 13, 2018 at 4:18 PM kd9sv wrote:
> 
> 
>     Terry, if the antenna hears noise it should also hear signals. I must admit
>     the 160 meter band has been almost completely void of signals much of the
>     time. Listen the last weekend of Jan during the 160 contest and you will
>     get a different opinion I'm sure although pointing the beverage north is not
>     a good idea since signals rarely come from the north. 73, de gary, kd9sv
> 
>     -----Original Message-----
>     From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com ] On Behalf Of terry
>     burge
>     Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2018 5:01 PM
>     To: Lee STRAHAN; topband at contesting.com mailto:topband at contesting.com
>     Subject: Re: Topband: My beverage only hears static?
> 
>     Hi Lee,
> 
> 
>     The only thing I've noticed are some pops going on some of the receive
>     antennas that I think may be an electric fence or some power line arcing.
>     They are about 1-2 seconds apart. I see them sometimes and I can see it
>     causing the AGC on fast to cut back the gain on the receiver. But that does
>     not sound like the constant static I hear.
> 
> 
>     Just bought some new RG-6 coax from Norvac to replace this old stuff and
>     make sure it's not that. Also got some resistors and 'gators' for checking
>     my 4:1 and 9:1 XFMR's like Tree was telling me. Also got some fence post and
>     1 1/2" PVC to put up a NE beverage that I hope will reach at least 400 feet
>     or better.
> 
> 
>     Terry
> 
>     KI7M
> 
>         > > On January 13, 2018 at 11:50 AM Lee STRAHAN wrote:
> > 
> > 
> >         Hello All,
> >         I may not have seen all of the posts on this topic but will comment
> > 
> >     > anyway.
> 
>         > > Two things come to mind about this noise. Number one is you do not
> > 
> >     > want to connect the shield of the coax going to the receiver to the ground
>     stake for the antenna. It's important that the transformer you use has an
>     isolated winding for the output to the cable leading to the shack. The other
>     comment is you may have some local arcing or digital noise that the Tx
>     antenna does not hear. The best clue to checking for this is to use the AM
>     mode on your receiver and listen for the characteristic hum from a power
>     line or switching supply.
> 
>         > > Good Luck
> >         Lee K7TJR OR
> > 
> >         -----Original Message-----
> >         From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com
> > 
> >     > mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com ] On Behalf Of terry burge
> 
>         > > Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2018 11:09 AM
> >         To: David Olean ; topband at contesting.com mailto:topband at contesting.com mailto:topband at contesting.com mailto:topband at contesting.com
> >         Subject: Re: Topband: Topband Digest, Vol 181, Issue 16
> > 
> >         Hello Dave and Group,
> > 
> > 
> >         I had responded directly to Martin and will include my comments to
> > 
> >     > him. Right now I hesitate to pull the tape off the coax at the XFRM but will
>     do that ASAP to check it out. When I took it off the old spool it had not
>     been used but it is donated to me from a junk yard lot. I also got a 4 foot
>     spool nearly full of 1/2" hardline I'm planning on replacing my ground run
>     of LMR-400 with. 75 ohm but it should work if I can build the connections to
>     the LMR-400 PL-259's, etc.
> 
>         > >         Disconnecting the ground as well as the BOG (in this case) from the
> > 
> >     > XFRM causes the noise to drop down to about S-1 to S-2.
> 
>         > > With ground connected to the XFRM I get about S-5 noise level without
> > 
> >     > any antenna.
> 
>         > > Per my note to Martin you can read my other test. Right now with the
> > 
> >     > 550-600 ft. beverage hooked up along with ground of course, I get S-5 noise
>     level and can't hear an S-9+10 over signal on 7.235 Mhz.
> 
>         > >         Terry
> > 
> >         KI7M
> > 
> >         ---------------------------------------------
> > 
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