I HAVE Questions?

[Charlie Brown]

Ok
#1 I have a washington base am/ssb. I recently put up and Imax2000 antenna. Its about 32 ft to the bottom. No obstructions .. I have it mounted to the chimney on a 10" piece of pipe.
So... I have about 5-7 s units of static all the time??? It is killingme man ??? Cant stand it??? I called the power company.. They came out today and changed a few things. It went down maybe a db??
What the heck can I do?? I have tried another radio?? Same problem??

#2 This washington seems to be a good radio but its been messed with. It has a variable wattage adjust on the rear and its not right?? I have good reports on SSB but heres my ?? Who is the best tech known to man where I can send this radio and get the alignment checked. I want the recieve mod done and I want new updated finals in it. I know this radio should key more than 2 watts and swing more than 9 watts?? I want some one who knows what the heck they are doing !!! No someone who decided to open a cb shop and hopes they can fix it?? Why buy a new radio and have something that needs tweeking?? I'd rather pay someone who knows what they are doing and get this one 10-8

Thanx for any advise and help!!

PSM

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

CB Radio - DTB Radio's Front Page

 

[radiohobby]

Looks like there is a shop in TN on the list of reccommended shops. Have you tried a different radio on that same antenna to verify it is the radio and not the antenna putting the noise into the radio? Have you tested the power output into a dummy load instead of the antenna?

 

[Charlie Brown]

yes I had stated that I tried two radios.. I guess I shouldnt have bought a fiberglass antenna?????:bdh: :headbang:headbang

I just want the best to update this radio??

 

[W5LZ]

I think you've answered your own question. The fiberglass antenna has nothing to do with it. As you said, the radio has been 'messed with'. And it sounds like you are trying to find out where to send it to get it 'un-messed with', or at least straightened out or corrected. Sounds like a good idea to me too.
No matter what you do to that radio, expect to hear noise. The best you can do in that regard is to track that noise/noises down and eliminate them if possible. You've had a little taste of that with the power company, that was fun, wasn't it?
Good luck.
- 'Doc

 

[Ronin]

Since you have the same noise levels on two different radios, there is probably something in your house or neighborhood that is kicking up quite a bit of RFI. I have had everything imaginable over the years that I had to track down and try to find a solution for. As for the Imax, you "might" see a slightly higher noise level on a fiberglass antenna over an aluminum one, but not as high as you are seeing, and there are a lot of variables to the aluminum vs Fiberglass controversy to begin with. I have an Imax at 33ft which is about 50 feet from a pole with a transformer and a street light and my noise floor is about zero right now.

First thing is to start with your house. It would help to be able to power your radio from a battery source so that you can determine if it is your power supply. You'll want to switch the circuit breakers off one at a time (so keep the radio on battery power) and see if one particular circuit is causing the problem.

If you do not find anything inside your home, next is to check your neighborhood. A handheld CB would be best, but an AM broadcast portable radio (tuned between stations) will work OK as well. Walk your neighborhood for at least a block or two in all directions and see if anything spikes an increase in the noise level of the AM radio or handheld CB. You can also use the AM radio/handheld CB in the house, but it will probably be more definitive with the handheld CB with the antenna removed or collapsed since you'll be able to get right up against possible noise sources and check each individual electrical appliance or device that way. If the noise is real bad, the AM radio might be overwhelmed with a high amount of RFI and it may be difficult to narrow it down to one device causing the noise.

Keep in mind that all sorts of electical and electronic equipment can cause RFI. Doorbells, dimmer switches, dimmer lights, fish tak heaters, heating system thermostats, plug in power supplies for chargers, laptops, printers, neon and flourescent lights and signs, transformers, street lights, bad grounds on telephone poles,... the list goes on and on. Check things out and let us know what you find and go from there.

 

[loosecannon]

pedal steel man,

do you happen to have your computer set up next to your radio?

monitors, powered speakers, wireless mouses, wireless keyboards can all cause noise on a CB radio.

try shutting off all the computer stuff, even the routers and splitters and see if that clears up your noise issue.

if not, you'll have to go around the house shutting things off until you find the offending device.

touch lamps, aquarium pumps, and alarm systems are big time culprits.

you will find that many things made these days will interfere with your CB radio.

just have to minimize the problem the best you can.

as for the shop, booty is right, send it to DTB. he is a real tech, has been around for a long time, and can do what you want done.

good luck,
LC

 

[office888]

Sounds like the same problem I'm having right now.

10 through 40m is wiped out by a strong "BZZZZZZTTTTTT".

I've identified it as an arcing powerline insulator.

 

[Sambo460]

another thing you might want to possibly try is a power conditioner. I use to play live in a band I was in and it got really annoying just plugging into the wall and hearing static. I bought a berginger power conditioner and it quieted everything down tremendously. and it offers steady power and is your best bet if power goes out on you and you wont have any messed up radios. I dunno if this will offer anything to you but just trying to help a fella out.

 

[Toll_Free]

I've identified it as an arcing powerline insulator.

How? I get this every once in a while, and they are cutting out all the glazed and glass insulators here, going to covered insulators that won't be effected by ice.

Interested in hearing how you found it, maybe if I can pinpoint mine, I can get SCE to replace THAT one next (PRAYING!!!).

It takes out 160-10 here


--Toll_Free

 

[Shockwave]

Apparently it was common practice to use what's called a tie down wire to make connections to the primaries. They have been noted as one of the key offenders of RFI from the power company. listening to the type of noise generated can be useful in determining the source. In many cases rain will make the problem go away. This is a sure sign that it's a bad connection on the primary and probably not an insulator.

It's usually identified by a continuous buzz in the receiver whenever it's dry out. It may disappear or become intermittent in wind. The insulator usually fails with rain and does not produce a constant buzz. It's interference sounds more like lightning in the receiver. Your portable AM radio is your best friend tracing this problem down.

If you want reasonable response from your utility company, do your best to track the problem to a particular pole when you make your complaint. Anyone who has been here before knows the frustration there can be in solving these issues. Identifying the source for them can mean the difference in being placed on the back burner or not.

 

[Charlie Brown]

OK.. I went and bought an old AM FM radio. Put it on AM and walked around in the house. I got a strond signal from the kitchen area...! I cut the breaker and went to the radio... Still 7db of static?? I waled around more!! I went upstairs and was getting a signal at the back up battery for my computer!! Cut it off!! went to radio still had 7db of static. Started checking wall plugs... GOT A LOT OF STATIC...? I mean soooo bad that I could trace the wires with the radio!! Cut off all receptacles... still 7db of static!! Waled the house all over no more real static could I find...? I will take the am radio out in the yard tomorrow?? I am so frustrated i'm about to put this stuff back in the closet and FORGET it !!! I still think i ts this IMAX fiber stik 2000:blushing::angry::angry:

 

[Robb]

First off, I would have used a CB walkie talkie; not an am/fm radio.
That won't work.

Second, The stuff about Imax being too noisy is vastly exaggerated. I've talked to Japan (a few times), Ireland, Belgium, several South American countries, and Australia. Others. Some days I have NO STATIC on it at all - even with the receive preamp turned on too (like the last few days - no static at all). If I had the static you have because of the antenna in question - I would have never made those contacts - as they were all well below 7 S-units.

You would have noise regardless of the antenna you have chosen.

You have noise.
Keep hunting for it.

 

[Ronin]

Next, if you can, shut off all the breakers in the home and have a listen on the AM radio. With what you have done so far, it seems like you will find something creating noise along the power lines or near a pole or transformer outside of your home. The noise that you are hearing from the radio when you are near outlets and wiring inside your home is more than likely RFI which is following the lines into the house. Make sure you walk the neighborhood as well. RFI can travel a couple blocks sometimes depending on the problem. I have had poles/wires/ etc. from 1/4 mile away cause interference. You could also drive around your neighborhood and using the AM radio in the car/truck to try to narrow down what is causing the noise.

You can stop worrying about the Imax.... find the RFI problem before you spend money on another antenna only to find you still have the noise. There is not a huge difference between aluminum and fiberglass. I have run them both (even at the same time) over the years and there is barely any difference.