Topband: Spectrum

Fri May 29 13:31:43 EDT 2020

Spectrum internet and cable TV here in Northern Kentucky. It was insight then TWC and now spectrum no problem here QRO for several years. Fred KB4QZH 
-------- Original message --------From: rick darwicki via Topband <topband at contesting.com> Date: 5/29/20  1:03 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: topband at contesting.com Subject: Topband: Spectrum Hi all,I had Uverse TV and 1 KW blew away their modem, anyone operating QRO using Spectrum for TV, Phone and Internet ?I assume would have a box with DVR and WIFI.  Any problem with any feature being blown away or hash in recorded programs?If it works better than my ATT and DirecTV I might go for my second 100 on Topband hi hiThanksRick N6PE======================================================================Dying is easy, the hard part is living     On Friday, May 29, 2020, 09:00:47 AM PDT, <topband-request at contesting.com> wrote:    Send Topband mailing list submissions to    topband at contesting.comTo subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit    http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topbandor, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to    topband-request at contesting.comYou can reach the person managing the list at    topband-owner at contesting.comWhen replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specificthan "Re: Contents of Topband digest..."Today's Topics:  1. 160M shunt fed choke (tony.kaz at verizon.net)  2. Re: 160M shunt fed choke (Jim Brown)  3. Re: 160M shunt fed choke (tony.kaz at verizon.net)  4. Re: 160M shunt fed choke (Jim Brown)  5. Re: 160M shunt fed choke (Raymond Benny)  6. Re: 160M shunt fed choke (tony.kaz at verizon.net)  7. Re: 160M shunt fed choke (fmoeves)  8. Re: 160M shunt fed choke (Jim Brown)  9. Re: 160M shunt fed choke (Jim Brown)  10. Re: 160M shunt fed choke (Wes N7WS)----------------------------------------------------------------------Message: 1Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 11:57:56 -0400From: <tony.kaz at verizon.net>To: <topband at contesting.com>Subject: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeMessage-ID: <0a7201d63508$c1827090$448751b0$@verizon.net>Content-Type: text/plain;    charset="us-ascii"I shunt feed my tower on 160M. The feed is about 4' above the base of thetower. I use a vacuum cap beta match. I use three vacuum caps. I have avacuum relay to switch between high and low 160M. The coax from the shack isall underground to the base of the tower. The shield of the coax and thematching network is grounded to a tower leg.Is there a potential benefit to adding a ferrite core choke for this type ofsetup?  I can easily add one inside the match box. I could follow K9YC'sinfo for a 18 turn RG-400 on a 2.4" #31 core.  Tnx for any feedbackN2TK, Tony------------------------------Message: 2Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 10:36:53 -0700From: Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>To: topband at contesting.comSubject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeMessage-ID:    <7ad4aa2c-8cc6-4512-2599-d663fe98b1a1 at audiosystemsgroup.com>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowedOn 5/28/2020 8:57 AM, tony.kaz--- via Topband wrote:> Is there a potential benefit to adding a ferrite core choke for this type of> setup?What do you have for a radial system?  That's the primary determining factor. The choke prevents the coax from being used as a radial. If you have a robust radial system, that's far less of an issue.73, Jim K9YC------------------------------Message: 3Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 14:06:21 -0400From: <tony.kaz at verizon.net>To: <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>,    <topband at contesting.com>Subject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeMessage-ID: <0c0301d6351a$b1d90520$158b0f60$@verizon.net>Content-Type: text/plain;    charset="us-ascii"Hi Jim,In ground radials - 60. Length 60-100' depending on direction due to a closein stone wall in one direction.All the coax is buried and all the shields are tied to the tower legs abouta foot up the tower after the leave the ground.N2TK, Tony -----Original Message-----From: Topband <topband-bounces+tony.kaz=verizon.net at contesting.com> OnBehalf Of Jim BrownSent: Thursday, May 28, 2020 1:37 PMTo: topband at contesting.comSubject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeOn 5/28/2020 8:57 AM, tony.kaz--- via Topband wrote:> Is there a potential benefit to adding a ferrite core choke for this > type of setup?What do you have for a radial system?  That's the primary determiningfactor. The choke prevents the coax from being used as a radial. If you havea robust radial system, that's far less of an issue.73, Jim K9YC_________________Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector------------------------------Message: 4Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 11:41:45 -0700From: Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>To: topband at contesting.comSubject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeMessage-ID:    <843d3836-6a7d-4f5e-cef2-369d6256ab7f at audiosystemsgroup.com>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowedI'd guess that you're probably fine without the choke.73, Jim K9YCOn 5/28/2020 11:06 AM, tony.kaz at verizon.net wrote:> Hi Jim,> In ground radials - 60. Length 60-100' depending on direction due to a close> in stone wall in one direction.> All the coax is buried and all the shields are tied to the tower legs about> a foot up the tower after the leave the ground.> > N2TK, Tony> > -----Original Message-----> From: Topband <topband-bounces+tony.kaz=verizon.net at contesting.com> On> Behalf Of Jim Brown> Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2020 1:37 PM> To: topband at contesting.com> Subject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed choke> > On 5/28/2020 8:57 AM, tony.kaz--- via Topband wrote:>> Is there a potential benefit to adding a ferrite core choke for this>> type of setup?> > What do you have for a radial system?  That's the primary determining> factor. The choke prevents the coax from being used as a radial. If you have> a robust radial system, that's far less of an issue.> > 73, Jim K9YC> _________________> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector> ------------------------------Message: 5Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 12:20:53 -0700From: Raymond Benny <rayn6vr at gmail.com>Cc: 160 <topband at contesting.com>Subject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeMessage-ID:    <CAHv=PBGV2hgeCt6sg2X6XoqDpq1w7LcmL20WPG73MEeq626L-A at mail.gmail.com>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"One way to tell if a choke is needed I would think, is to add say, a randomlenght of coax, 20 - 40 ft, to the shack end of you coax and see if yourSWR changes. If so, then a then a choke could help.Jim, does this sound like a reasonable test? I'm no expert on verticalantennas, just my experience.Ray,N6VR/W7YAOn Thu, May 28, 2020, 11:42 AM Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:> I'd guess that you're probably fine without the choke.>> 73, Jim K9YC>> On 5/28/2020 11:06 AM, tony.kaz at verizon.net wrote:> > Hi Jim,> > In ground radials - 60. Length 60-100' depending on direction due to a> close> > in stone wall in one direction.> > All the coax is buried and all the shields are tied to the tower legs> about> > a foot up the tower after the leave the ground.> >> > N2TK, Tony> >> > -----Original Message-----> > From: Topband <topband-bounces+tony.kaz=verizon.net at contesting.com> On> > Behalf Of Jim Brown> > Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2020 1:37 PM> > To: topband at contesting.com> > Subject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed choke> >> > On 5/28/2020 8:57 AM, tony.kaz--- via Topband wrote:> >> Is there a potential benefit to adding a ferrite core choke for this> >> type of setup?> >> > What do you have for a radial system?  That's the primary determining> > factor. The choke prevents the coax from being used as a radial. If you> have> > a robust radial system, that's far less of an issue.> >> > 73, Jim K9YC> > _________________> > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband> Reflector> >>> _________________> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband> Reflector>------------------------------Message: 6Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 16:04:14 -0400From: <tony.kaz at verizon.net>To: <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>,    <topband at contesting.com>Subject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeMessage-ID: <0cf001d6352b$29e4ba90$7dae2fb0$@verizon.net>Content-Type: text/plain;    charset="us-ascii"Tnx JimTony-----Original Message-----From: Topband <topband-bounces+tony.kaz=verizon.net at contesting.com> OnBehalf Of Jim BrownSent: Thursday, May 28, 2020 2:42 PMTo: topband at contesting.comSubject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeI'd guess that you're probably fine without the choke.73, Jim K9YCOn 5/28/2020 11:06 AM, tony.kaz at verizon.net wrote:> Hi Jim,> In ground radials - 60. Length 60-100' depending on direction due to aclose> in stone wall in one direction.> All the coax is buried and all the shields are tied to the tower legsabout> a foot up the tower after the leave the ground.> > N2TK, Tony> > -----Original Message-----> From: Topband <topband-bounces+tony.kaz=verizon.net at contesting.com> On> Behalf Of Jim Brown> Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2020 1:37 PM> To: topband at contesting.com> Subject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed choke> > On 5/28/2020 8:57 AM, tony.kaz--- via Topband wrote:>> Is there a potential benefit to adding a ferrite core choke for this>> type of setup?> > What do you have for a radial system?  That's the primary determining> factor. The choke prevents the coax from being used as a radial. If youhave> a robust radial system, that's far less of an issue.> > 73, Jim K9YC> _________________> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - TopbandReflector> _________________Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector------------------------------Message: 7Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 16:06:43 -0400From: fmoeves <fmoeves at twc.com>To: topband at contesting.comSubject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeMessage-ID: <mailman.26.1590768002.4590.topband at contesting.com>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8I'm going from memory so...?I've seen a video of a simple detector.?In the video the guy ran along the feedline while transmitting low power.?You could see if there was a signal on the outside of the cable.?I'll look later to see if I find.?Fred KB4QZH?-------- Original message --------From: Raymond Benny <rayn6vr at gmail.com> Date: 5/28/20  3:21 PM  (GMT-05:00) To:  Cc: 160 <topband at contesting.com> Subject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed choke One way to tell if a choke is needed I would think, is to add say, a randomlenght of coax, 20 - 40 ft, to the shack end of you coax and see if yourSWR changes. If so, then a then a choke could help.Jim, does this sound like a reasonable test? I'm no expert on verticalantennas, just my experience.Ray,N6VR/W7YAOn Thu, May 28, 2020, 11:42 AM Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:> I'd guess that you're probably fine without the choke.>> 73, Jim K9YC>> On 5/28/2020 11:06 AM, tony.kaz at verizon.net wrote:> > Hi Jim,> > In ground radials - 60. Length 60-100' depending on direction due to a> close> > in stone wall in one direction.> > All the coax is buried and all the shields are tied to the tower legs> about> > a foot up the tower after the leave the ground.> >> > N2TK, Tony> >> > -----Original Me ssage-----> > From: Topband <topband-bounces+tony.kaz=verizon.net at contesting.com> On> > Behalf Of Jim Brown> > Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2020 1:37 PM> > To: topband at contesting.com> > Subject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed choke> >> > On 5/28/2020 8:57 AM, tony.kaz--- via Topband wrote:> >> Is there a potential benefit to adding a ferrite core choke for this> >> type of setup?> >> > What do you have for a radial system?? That's the primary determining> > factor. The choke prevents the coax from being used as a radial. If you> have> > a robust radial system, that's far less of an issue.> >> > 73, Jim K9YC> > _________________> > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband> Reflector> >>> _________________> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband> Reflector>_________________Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector------------------------------Message: 8Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 13:15:26 -0700From: Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>To: topband at contesting.comSubject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeMessage-ID:    <2e621209-c77a-43a8-3921-c19cf902845d at audiosystemsgroup.com>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowedOn 5/28/2020 12:20 PM, Raymond Benny wrote:> One way to tell if a choke is needed I would think, is to add say, a random> lenght of coax, 20 - 40 ft, to the shack end of you coax and see if your> SWR changes. If so, then a then a choke could help.> > Jim, does this sound like a reasonable test?No, I don't think so. The reasons for the choke are 1) to minimize noise pickup on the coax from coupling to the antenna, and from there to your RX; and 2) to keep TX RF off the coax shield. With the robust radial system Tony describes, it seems unlikely that the coax shield would see more than 1/60 of the TX current, or that the coax shield would significantly change the feedpoint Z, or that it would contribute audibly to RX noise.If, however, the antenna was not ideally matched to the feedline, changing the feedline length could change the Z at the transmitter. But this would be a transmission line effect, not a common mode issue.73, Jim K9YC------------------------------Message: 9Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 13:19:16 -0700From: Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>To: topband at contesting.comSubject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeMessage-ID:    <dea75abf-a37b-7da3-bd0d-4c58d9b3823e at audiosystemsgroup.com>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowedOn 5/28/2020 1:06 PM, fmoeves wrote:> I'm going from memory so...?I've seen a video of a simple detector.?In the video the guy ran along the feedline while transmitting low power.?You could see if there was a signal on the outside of the cable.?I'll look later to see if I find.Tony's feedline is buried, so could be tricky. But it IS right to move the probe along the feedline to find a current max, because the current varies along the line because it would be acting as part of the antenna.73, Jim K9YC------------------------------Message: 10Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 13:39:11 -0700From: Wes N7WS <wes_n7ws at triconet.org>To: jim at audiosystemsgroup.comCc: topband at contesting.comSubject: Re: Topband: 160M shunt fed chokeMessage-ID: <7C6A9C89-E6B8-4158-ADE2-8ABFA6BCFECA at triconet.org>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8A buried antenna. Why worry about it?Wes. N7WSSent from my iPhone> On May 28, 2020, at 1:19 PM, Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:> > ?On 5/28/2020 1:06 PM, fmoeves wrote:>> I'm going from memory so... I've seen a video of a simple detector. In the video the guy ran along the feedline while transmitting low power. You could see if there was a signal on the outside of the cable. I'll look later to see if I find.> > Tony's feedline is buried, so could be tricky. But it IS right to move the probe along the feedline to find a current max, because the current varies along the line because it would be acting as part of the antenna.> > 73, Jim K9YC> > _________________> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector------------------------------Subject: Digest Footer_______________________________________________Topband mailing listTopband at contesting.comhttp://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/topband------------------------------End of Topband Digest, Vol 209, Issue 22****************************************  _________________Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector