[TowerTalk] Problem That Needs Ideas & Update

[Pat Chiles]

Hi Doug,

Yes, the switch grounds the driven element of the XM240.  I tried posting an 
up date, but got an automatic message back that says I am not a list member 
and must wait for the moderator.  Don't understand that since he sends me my 
password on the 1st of the month like everyone else.  I will paste my update 
into this message and see if it gets posted.

This is an update:

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.  There was a lot there that I 
hadn't tried.  I did go out in the rain and try a feww of the ideas.  When I 
put everything back together it started working.  The only things that 
changed was I lowered the tower due to high wind advisories and I placed the 
TH7 on a different port than what I was testing on.  I had tried this port 
before though and had the TH7 fail on the port it is now working on.  This 
was about the 25th disconnection and reconnection of the cable.

Having managed computer networks in my other life, I know that I must go 
forth and break it again so I can fix it and understand why.  This we call a 
hobby.

I tried the barrel connector clamped to the tower and it made no difference. 
I also tried a 3 foot pigtail that was tested on the 40M and it still 
failed.  I inspected the connectors side by side.  They are both teflon, but 
made differently so could be slightly different in size.  I am having 
trouble believing that lower the tower had anything to do with it, but am 
trying to keep an open mind.  I will run the tower back up and see if it 
fails again before I try and break it again.  I want to try a dummy load or 
another 10,15, or 20 antenna.  Tomorrow the weather is suppose to improve 
and then 3 more days of rain.

That's all the news fit to print,

Pat, K8PC

PS: An even later update is that I am having trouble getting to fail.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Rehman" <rehman at surveil.com>
To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 1:08 PM
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Problem That Needs Ideas


> Is the XM240's driven element normally grounded or floating? Does the
> Ameritron ground unused ports? Do you still get high SWR if the TH7 is the
> only antenna connected to the Ameritron?
>
> Just a wild guess, but perhaps the Ameritron is grounding the XM240's 
> driven
> element when the TH7 is selected, thus making a nice ground plane 12.5'
> above the TH7.
>
> 73,
> Doug
> K4DDR
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
> Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with 
> any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
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