Hi Folks
I have been working to improve my RX systems for several years. I ve got good results using good practice on grounding shielding and detuning my TX antennas. I heard this several times from different hams, I need to update my system to the REAL WORLD, my station is close to perfection .. Well let me tell what is happening when I am installing WF. I am personally involve on the first 50 WF TOP-BEAM installations to make sure this thing about REAL WORLD is part of my RX system. With permission from PT9ZE let me explain what I found there . Zé Alfredo lives in a farm, not any rural location. The farm is near Brazil Bolivia and Paraguay border, the first city I hundreds of miles away. Would you imagine a quieter place to install a HAM radio Station? PT9ZE has an impressive station, 3 towers 120 ft. self-standing 500ft apart , 1st 3 elements YAGI on 80m + 15m, 2nd 4 elements full size for 40m +15m , both 70 ft. boom, 3rd long 10m +6m. We installed the WF on the tower #2 below the 10 m 7 elements. UNREAL right!! PT9ZE noise was very REAL due these REAL things. 1- LG top line refrigerator, It uses a VFD motor and scream RF like crazy. 2- Siemens AC center unit. The noise sounds like 10 cw spark station in contest. 3- WiFi router 4- LED lamps 5- UPS 6- Cable/Satellite TV box. 7- Wall power supply for cellphone, computer and wireless telephone extension. And the list of noise devices we found goes on and on.. The station have an extensive ground system, all cables buried. Just perfect. It was necessary to choke all those devices , I mean heavily choke all wires in and out the devices. Well ..welcome to REAL word, the ham radio practices from the last century, unfortunately few years ago are no longer enough or apply for REAL WROLD. The REAL WORLD we live today brought the noise inside our homes. We need to adapt fast if we want to keep enjoying radio. Things I presented on the Webnair unfortunately is very real, grounding, shielding using metal box, not aluminum that allows magnetic field through . Run RX lines for receiving antenna inside metal conduit to avoid common mode noise from inside and outside your hone. One single connector with bad contact between coaxial braid and the PL259 was enough to allow s4 of noise into the receiver and this was after the preamplifier. I think the real world is here to stay and we need to review our best practice for low band stations. A SWL AM/SSB portable radio to sniff the new source of noise is a very important tool for the Real World. 73s JC N4IS _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
