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Bleed over for Solarcon (Antron) A-99

ebayguy

Dak IV & Galaxy DX-88HL
Oct 18, 2011
55
2
16
Potomac, MD
Hey guys(and gals), I am in need of some more advice... I am installing my Solarcon(hopefully) soon, and do not want my neighbors, or my wife, to get upset with bleeding. I have heard that IF I wrap coax around a two liter bottle about 4 or 5 times, 4' below the antenna connection, with a GP kit, that will stop, or atleast cut way down on bleed over. BUT....... Won't that make me lose RF signal, for both TX, and RX? What is a sure fire way to stop bleed over, without the RF loss? Is there any way to do it? I am currently running a tuned up Dak IV, without any heat. I might run a small heater when it gets cold out. :p

I really need some advice here. I do not want to get a letter from the housing association, or the wanna be neighborhood assholes.
 

The GP kit made for the A99 is not much punkin', but the coax choke is an honest to goodness help. However, a 2 liter bottle is a bit too big. Use something like a 4" PVC coupling with 5 -6 wraps on it just beneath the coax/antenna connector. it will not be a problem as far as RF losses are concerned.
 
Didn't you ask similar questions about this a little while back, ebayguy?
http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/128857-lmr-400-coax-base-antenna-installation-questions.html

Putting it up as high as possible will help some too.

Am a bit curious about your radio's 'tune-up'. The radio is the most common source for problems if someone gave it the kind of 'tune-up' where the modulation is set too high and the chokes inside the radio have been disabled. If that is the case, you may well get interference out of your system no matter what kind of antenna you run.

Antennas that are run real close to your home electronics doesn't help much either; that will only make interference worse.
Depends on the amount of power output you use and how clean the output is from the radio itself.

You will just have to try with what you have and see what you will need to change.
There is no 'sure fire' way to make it right; as there are variables that cannot be known from here.

Running a coax choke will allow all of the radio's RF into the antenna w/o letting much of it going back down the other way into the radio room. Like a one-way valve. Five turns of coax on a soda bottle will work just fine. Doesn't have to be exactly four inches in diameter.
 
There's no absolute, sure-fire way of never having interference problems. There's two sides to that interference 'coin', your equipment and 'their' equipment. The only way of knowing is by trying it and seeing the results. Unfortunately, the transmitting equipment is at fault most of the time. That's due to poor design, improper modifications, and operator ignorance. Eliminate those three things and you are going to stand some chance of not interfering with something.
'Sorry Charley', that's the way it is...
- 'Doc
 
The size (diameter) of the coaxial choke depends on the size of the coax itself. For RG-8X (aka 'mini-8'), don't use less than a 5" diameter coil form. For RG-8/RG-213, nothing smaller than 8" diameter.

And if you're using LMR-400, use the extra-flexible kind, because the regular stuff is just too stiff to bend into any convenient size.

Whatever choke or balun you use, put it as close to the antenna as possible.
 
If you have no issues now... why fix something that is not broke!


If you are going to run a "heater" as you say.. turn the modulation down and keep it CLEAN... Class ab style of box

Because it is not installed yet. I am still waiting on the antenna. IF IT EVER GETS HERE. DAMN DEADBEAT EBAY SELLERS!!!!

Second, Thanks for the advice, but when I run power, I always turn my mic gain to half way.

Thanks
 
That's due to poor design, improper modifications, and operator ignorance. Eliminate those three things and you are going to stand some chance of not interfering with something.
'Sorry Charley', that's the way it is...
- 'Doc

OK, IF I got this correct, over modulation(a.k.a. someone that that likes to be heard like they are shouting, but they are whispering) will be a constant problem regaurdless what situation you are in, especially neighbors. I like modulation at about 90%, so that the radio can handle the output. If you want to get heard, use a power mic, or run power...... I hate people that think if you cut the modulator, you get more power. It might sound louder, but will also sound like crap !!!! IMO :whistle:

I am expecting the radio TBD Tuesday, and will run it up to the local shop, and have him check it out. I need a guy(or girl), that I CAN TRUST, to have my radio work done. The local guy is pretty much a "If you don't drive truck, you shouldn't have a radio" type of redneck. I mean no disrespect, I grew up in Keyser, WV., but thats the feeling I get. Not to mention his rates are through the roof cuz he is the only game in town. If you are, or know someone in the Washington, DC. area(or close), PM me. Maybe we can work something out.
 
A 1/2WL vertical, which the A99 is, without a good ground radial system, uses the coax outer as the 'other' part of the antenna, installing a coax choke is unlikely to have anywhere near enough impedance to stop common mode current on the coax, and if the antenna is mounted on a metal pole then that is likely to have common mode current on it too :blink:
 
A 1/2WL vertical, which the A99 is, without a good ground radial system, uses the coax outer as the 'other' part of the antenna, installing a coax choke is unlikely to have anywhere near enough impedance to stop common mode current on the coax, and if the antenna is mounted on a metal pole then that is likely to have common mode current on it too :blink:

Might not stop all of it, but it'll sure help suppress it. Doesn't cost much of anything to try.
 
Might not stop all of it, but it'll sure help suppress it. Doesn't cost much of anything to try.

The whole purposes of the RF choke is to impede the flow of common mode current on the coax, an vertical antenna that doesn't have any radials / ground, requires the coax to form the other half of the antenna, this being the case then the coax choke will fail in it's purpose, it won't be able to impede the common mode current, the only time this does work is if the antenna is mounted on a metal pole, then the coax will choke, however the pole will then carry the common mode, this may cause excatly the same problem, you may be lucky and it doesn't.

If the A99 had a decent set of radials then a coax choke stands a much better chance of working, and if you really want to ensure the choke does it's job then you need to consider a torroidal ferrite cored choke ;)
 
Torroidal ferrite cored choke ;)

OK. Because I am ignorant to the whole choke thing, I did a Google search, and downloaded the PDF of "Understanding how a torroidal ferrite choke works". I am not "lost", as I do have a limited understanding of basic electronics. I stopped reading at the end of the first paragraph because I am on my phone at the moment, and I looked to see what they look like. If I had seen the right one, or style, they are relatively small? Where/how do I install? Should I have a "REAL" tech do it, or is it something I could do on my own? I would be installing in a Dak IV, if I am installing in the unit.

BTW, thanks for the info. It is quite helpful. I am glad that I am getting this info "BEFORE" I install everything for my shack.
 

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