Topband: Freezing relays?

[Phil Lefever]

Been a ham for 30 years in Minnesota, I have never had an outdoor relay stick in the cold. About the only way I see cold being an issue is if there is moisture in with the relay to freeze and stick the relay in position. Watch for moisture buildup and make sure your wiring is adequate to have full switching voltages at the relay coil.

I have an SGC-230 remote antenna tuner/coupler that has been 100% trouble free no matter the temperature for almost 10 years now. It was changing bands instantly the other night at -19F

Now antenna rotators are an entirely different story...

73

Phil, KBØNES






On Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 09:32:26 AM CST, R. David Eagle via Topband <topband at contesting.com> wrote: 





All,
I know everyone is experiencing the cold especially here in northern MI.  Last night I thought I would fire up the rig and do a few checks on my rx antennas and noticed none of them worked!  I was shocked as just a couple weeks ago they were all working.  I noticed one strange thing while switching the antenna switch around a few times that my selections were intermittent.  Some times they would work and sometimes they wouldn't.  Now, granted it was -10 here last night but, is it really possible that the relays have been so cold that the failed to fully actuate?  The relays in the switch are your standard automotive style rated about 10 amps.  I can't say for certain the quality of them though.  Is there a particular style/brand I should consider so I don't run in to this again?
Thanks again,
DaveKB8NNU
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