On Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 05:14:42PM -0500, skipscopy wrote:
> Update: Just removed the radio and powered it up to the antenna at the helm.
> Asked for a radio check and got some distant replies.
>
> Evidently a PBRAM (problem between radio and mast, taken from the IT shorthand
> for stupidos: PBKAC), so I'll have to track that down. At least it means I
> won't have to haul it off/repair the radio, though I'm not thrilled at the
> thought that I might have a cable problem, the mast being a real stinker for
> doing another cable, should it be required! With any luck, a new antenna will
> cure that problem.
Skip, there's something you might want to check before you condemn the
cable: the end fittings. In my experience, those fail about 20x more
often than the cable itself. Ran across one in Puerto Rico that was
really interesting: a radio that "bled over" into lots of other channels
when transmitting. While I was fiddling around with the antenna
connector, I found what looked like a tiny grain of salt sitting between
the shield and the signal wire... removing it solved the problem. I've
also learned not to trust any RF connections that I haven't personally
made or at least inspected.
On a related note, whenever I have to pull one or more wires up a mast,
I also run a length of 50'-test fishing line alongside of it. Then, if
I ever need to pull another wire, it's easy: attach the new wire and
another length of fishing line to the end of the line already in the
mast, and haul away. Makes life much easier.
I can't take credit for inventing it, though: I was an alarm installer
in a previous life, and this is standard practice for tough routing
jobs. Came in handy when I was pulling network cable, too.
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