Troubles keeping me from CRR

[bluemax]

As many of you know, I have been absent, Off the key, and generally unhappy for a number of months. I had antenna troubles, I fried a few radios because I didn't know the antenna was wrecked, and all that just added to my discontent with radio. But I MISS CLASSIC RADIO ROUNDUP. Please keep that point in mind here. Very early in May I had  real streak of bad luck. I got layed off, had an indirect lightning strike, and I've lost my equalibrium due to allergies, and had 3 major falls. One off the porch roof. I don't bounce well even though I'm quite round. So about 2 weeks ago I was working on that copper pipe J-Pole of mine. I must say it was a challenge, but the satisfaction made it worthwhile. Not many of those hanging around for 11 meters! and somehow the balun at the feedpoint is gone. I mean I still haven't found it. And the end of the coax is also gone.

Well, the fixing wasn't going well, I still wasn't on the air, and I'm getting more disgusted every day. I decided to cut the pipe up for salvage and buy a manufactured antenna like normal guys. So I drove to R&R in Wilmington and brought back a new Antron 99. Well, you know it isn't just a matter of unboxing it and broadcasting...This stuff ain't plug & play. I found  out the hard way that my coax was burnt through on my metal roof. Well no more over the roof, cause I'm not going up there anymore. So 65 ft of LMR400 later, I'm ready to install. I was so excited to try everything, and I didn't really try anymore than checking the almost  pretuned SWR. I turned everything on and waited until almost 8:00, then keyed up a few times to see who was early. NOTHING, NOBODY. I waited  a little and decided to check in with Night Train by phone.

I am turning into a blithering idiot. He says "but it's only Tuesday night". So I continued scanning the channels, but noticing VERY LITTLE activity. OK, there will be plenty of locals Wednesday night. So I waited. 8 O'Clock passed and I could bearly here anything over all the static...I think. I even went out to the truck and I heard a few familiar voices. I tried everything from the truck and the base, but couldn't get a response. Damn interference anyway. 

This morning I went out early. Almost no sounds at all, even Ch6. I concluded that my favorite Robyn must have suffered injury even though there was no antenna during the storm. All my electronic losses were through ground wires only. (very odd, but now understandable). I'm starting to lose faith in myself. This afternoon, I had no reception on AM and very faintly on sideband...that sounded like real trouble. Within a half hour there was no sound or static on any band. I guess that one's done for. I'm running out of radios!

So I need to know if we're all experiencing high background noise and maybe poor reception. I've switched to a dipole that I finally got tuned, but there's not much to hear except the noise. And I hooked up a short coax and a radio on battery, and the noise is just as bad. I've double checked antennas, power and coax, but I'm getting nowhere. 

I would appreciate any feedback and ideas. Either here or my radio email [e-mail]. I'm loosing faith in myself...


 

[Sandbagger]

Jun 27, 2024 14:40:13 GMT -5 bluemax said:

As many of you know, I have been absent, Off the key, and generally unhappy for a number of months. I had antenna troubles, I fried a few radios because I didn't know the antenna was wrecked, and all that just added to my discontent with radio. But I MISS CLASSIC RADIO ROUNDUP. Please keep that point in mind here. Very early in May I had  real streak of bad luck. I got layed off, had an indirect lightning strike, and I've lost my equalibrium due to allergies, and had 3 major falls. One off the porch roof. I don't bounce well even though I'm quite round. So about 2 weeks ago I was working on that copper pipe J-Pole of mine. I must say it was a challenge, but the satisfaction made it worthwhile. Not many of those hanging around for 11 meters! and somehow the balun at the feedpoint is gone. I mean I still haven't found it. And the end of the coax is also gone.

Well, the fixing wasn't going well, I still wasn't on the air, and I'm getting more disgusted every day. I decided to cut the pipe up for salvage and buy a manufactured antenna like normal guys. So I drove to R&R in Wilmington and brought back a new Antron 99. Well, you know it isn't just a matter of unboxing it and broadcasting...This stuff ain't plug & play. I found  out the hard way that my coax was burnt through on my metal roof. Well no more over the roof, cause I'm not going up there anymore. So 65 ft of LMR400 later, I'm ready to install. I was so excited to try everything, and I didn't really try anymore than checking the almost  pretuned SWR. I turned everything on and waited until almost 8:00, then keyed up a few times to see who was early. NOTHING, NOBODY. I waited  a little and decided to check in with Night Train by phone.

I am turning into a blithering idiot. He says "but it's only Tuesday night". So I continued scanning the channels, but noticing VERY LITTLE activity. OK, there will be plenty of locals Wednesday night. So I waited. 8 O'Clock passed and I could bearly here anything over all the static...I think. I even went out to the truck and I heard a few familiar voices. I tried everything from the truck and the base, but couldn't get a response. Damn interference anyway. 

This morning I went out early. Almost no sounds at all, even Ch6. I concluded that my favorite Robyn must have suffered injury even though there was no antenna during the storm. All my electronic losses were through ground wires only. (very odd, but now understandable). I'm starting to lose faith in myself. This afternoon, I had no reception on AM and very faintly on sideband...that sounded like real trouble. Within a half hour there was no sound or static on any band. I guess that one's done for. I'm running out of radios!

So I need to know if we're all experiencing high background noise and maybe poor reception. I've switched to a dipole that I finally got tuned, but there's not much to hear except the noise. And I hooked up a short coax and a radio on battery, and the noise is just as bad. I've double checked antennas, power and coax, but I'm getting nowhere. 

I would appreciate any feedback and ideas. Either here or my radio email [e-mail]. I'm loosing faith in myself...


 

We've wondered what happened to you. Sweaty Maria is about to look for another radio boyfriend to whisper sweet nothings to in Spanish. ;-)

As to your issues, I think you took more than an "Indirect" lightning strike. That probably vaporized your missing balun, and burned your coax. If there was a radio connected when that happened, bad things will happen. What was the SWR on the A99? If the SWR is good and the antenna is more than 10' off the ground (Inside joke), you should be able to hear people.... I would hope you have at least one radio that wasn't taken out by stray lightning jolts. But if your antenna system isn't right, you won't hear much of anything. So double check. As for the noise, I always have at least an S4 noise level, but thankfully most of the locals are well above that.

But don't give up. I'll send Green Dragon up there to harass you, and maybe he can figure out what your situation is.....

[oldgeezer]

Buy a used 2010 or newer Cobra 29 LTD on eBay. I bought my 2017 year Cobra for $35. Most are older than 2010- avoid. Reason is few will sell their newer Cobra 29 LTD, but they re out there.

[cbrown]

Jun 27, 2024 14:40:13 GMT -5 bluemax said:

and had 3 major falls. One off the porch roof. I don't bounce well even though I'm quite round. So about 2 weeks ago I was working on that copper pipe J-Pole of mine. I must say it was a challenge, but the satisfaction made it worthwhile. Not many of those hanging around for 11 meters! and somehow the balun at the feedpoint is gone. I mean I still haven't found it. And the end of the coax is also gone.

Ask some of the locals for a little help doing the roof stuff until your equilibrium comes back. And I know about lightning 'almost' strikes, one took out my Browning Mark III back in the mid 1970's. Finally got it going again in 2008.

Hope you get back on the air soon!