[TowerTalk] Birdies and chokes

[Scott Nichols]

Please excuse the slightly off-topic question # 2, but this reflector has the most knowledgeable people of all the ham reflectors I know of...

1) I have a Hy-Gain EXP-14 beam at 50 feet...Feedline length to the shack is approximately 80 feet, PL-259 to PL-259...The beam has a factory supplied balun...Could someone please tell me if I need a choke at the feedpoint of the antenna...If so, what type ?...I've read so many differing views on this that my head is spinning...I don't have RFI issues, SWR is great on all bands, but I seem to have a lot of RX noise on this antenna...

2)I have "birdies" (constant tones) on numerous frequencies on my Mark V, that have just shown up in the last year or so...Some of the freq's I remember are 14.336, 10.122, 21.015, 14.030...I have unplugged everything in sight trying to locate it's source, but no luck...Do these freq's ring any bells with anyone ?...Could it be a problem with the Mark V..?

Thanks,

Scott VE1OP