[Towertalk] It ain't the fence any more.

n4kg@juno.com n4kg@juno.com
Mon, 19 Aug 2002 00:50:44 -0600


Another possibility is that one of the feedlines between the Comtek Box
and one of the elements may have some problem, such as an open shield or
a contaminated shield (which has turned black), etc.

Tom  N4KG

On Sun, 18 Aug 2002  "Guy Olinger, K2AV" <k2av@contesting.com> writes:
> How about one burned contact in the Comtek box? Or a contact not 
> quite closing.
> 
> You've solved the fence problems. The individual SWR tests proved
> that. What's left is unrelated.
> 
> Would appear that the only thing that is left is the wiring and 
> stuff in the Comtek box.
> 
> Here's how you prove it.
> 
> Unconnect the coaxes from the Comtek hybrid unit to the verticals.
> Take the NW coax and hook it to the NE port on the Comtek. Connect 
> the NE coax to the SE port, etc.
> 
> Now rerun the power dump tests. See whether or not the problem has
> miraculously rotated 90 degrees clockwise, that the 2% and 20% dump
> switch settings on the Comtek control box have changed.
> 
> If the problem rotated, then it's in the antennas and we still have
> something interesting to discover, no matter how improbable.
> 
> If the problem did not rotate it's in the Comtek box, and you need 
> to
> have it looked at.
> 
> 73, Guy.
> 
> ==================================
> I have a very nice looking three rail wood fence that now runs along
> my 4SQR.
>  Removing the goat wire for over 350 feet, then putting up then 
> fence,
> then
> adding wood braces that acted as insulators breaking up the goat 
> wire
> for
> another 100 feet on either side of the wood fence, has had an 
> awesome
> affect
> on the individual SWR's of the antennas.  They are all now perfectly
> match
> with 5KHz of one another- right around 3.540MHz-  The SWR of the
> antennas
> with the fence was up ranged from 3.540-3.640MHz-
> 
> But the bad news is that I am still seeing the problems with the
> varying
> power port figures.
> 
> They remained unchanged ranging from 2% up to 20% at the same
> frequency but
> switching antennas.  They direction of how the array was pointing 
> also
> showed
> varying resonant points at different frequencies as it relates to
> minimum
> power dumped into the Hybrid power dump port.
> 
> So the main problem remains-But I've discovered something else.
> 
> The power meter on the 756 Pro shows 100 watts output unless the VK
> antenna
> is on.  On the VK antenna, I can only get 50 watts out.  I switched
> feedlines
> and the problem remains. How can it do this with a dummy load 
> attached
> via a
> hybrid coupler device?? So now I'm getting close to figuring it out 
> by
> narrowing down things with the fence-  The problem with the array 
> has
> to be
> between the rig's output and Comtek control box at the antenna-  All
> else has
> been ruled out-
> 
> Can anyone tell me why the max power out to the VK antenna is 1/2 of
> the
> power out the other antennas?  What possiblities can cause this in a
> hybred
> coupler?
> 
> What could the problem(s) be?? Or am I barking up the wrong tree
> thinking its
> the coupler?   The F/B on this antenna is awesome between what I am
> hearing
> and the reports I get--  If not for monitoring the power port watt
> meter, I
> would never of suspected a problem-
> 
> That's all for now- I have several emails with good suggestions and
> requests
> that I update people on my progress-  So there you have it-  Open to
> any
> ideas on solving the power output problem-
> 
> 
> 73  Paul  N0AH
> 
> 
> 
> 
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