Chad, Are you driving a 50 ohm dummy load? It would be best to do so.
Are you confident that your watt/SWR meter is correctt at HF freqs? When testing like this, having known references for test gear is important. Rick -- W5RH On Tue, Oct 20, 2020 at 9:56 AM Chad Kitzmann via BVARC <[email protected]> wrote: > I wanted to provide a quick update on what I have found and what I have > done thus far. I had some time on Sunday afternoon and realized that my > MFJ-849 wattmeter had the ability to do HF, so I plugged it in between the > tuner and the antenna and did some testing. On key up at 100 watts ssb I > was lucky if I could get the meter past 9 watts (just talking it was around > 5 and if i whistled it would hit 9) with an SWR of 1.2 and very little > reflected power showing on the meter. I checked the SSB mic gain (I had it > at 25 - factory is 50) and I checked the Processor setting (it as at 50 - > factory setting is 50). After some searches I ended up doing a factory > reset on the 857d and was able to get the transmit power on SSB @100 to at > least come up to about 65 watts if I whistle and average around 40 watts > normally talking. Doing some more research it seems as though the ALC on > this rig is a bit wonky and seems to like to cut power. I'm still playing > with it but I think it may be time to step up to something else. > > > On Saturday, October 17, 2020, 05:28:38 AM CDT, Chad Kitzmann via BVARC < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > Wanted to thank you all for your help so far and taking the time to reply. > > > I’m working this weekend and this week looks rainy but I’ll try to move > the tuner out there since it’s battery powered and give it a try. I like > the idea behind this and with only 100 watts keeping losses down to minimum > makes perfect sense. > > Rick as far as the balun goes unfortunately terms get interchanged - DX > refers to it as a 1:1 but it’s a choke that mounts on the antenna base to > keep the cable feeding the antenna from becoming another radial - at least > that’s the theory behind it. I’ve run it both ways - with and without - > and it was the same result. If you think adding one going up the wall would > be a good idea I’m happy to build one and do that as well. I definitely > don’t want rf coming in the house and so far I have not seen any issues. > Also, I am running the tuner because 80 on both antennas is pretty narrow > banded being coil loaded. > > Jimmy I spent the summer laying down about 1000 feet of radials for the > vertical in as much of a 360 degree pattern as I could. It’s pretty narrow > banded on 80 being coil loaded so that’s why I run the tuner, but on the > rest of the bands I could probably get away without it based on my swr’s. > > I’ll also try and get some pictures of my setup posted on Sunday after > work. > > - Chad > > On Oct 16, 2020, at 11:20 PM, Rick Hiller <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hey Chad, > > I have read thru all of your notes and the responses. Looks like you got > alot of help, so I will limit my comments. > > Not sure why you have a 1:1 Balun at the feed point of the 6BTV. If > anything it should be an unun, but just running coax directly to the > vertical is an OK move. I would however place a choke of some sort in the > feedline right where it runs up the wall on the outside of your house. > This will eliminate any antenna currents flowing on the LMR that runs > parallel to the radials. This current could cause problems in the shack if > left un-choked. As a secondary precaution, placing a choke on the > feedline right where it enters the shack is another good practise, just > incase some common mode current is generated on the feedline as it runs > thru the attic, etc. > > If you have tuned your vertical with your MFJ 269 then why do you have a > tuner in your shack? You should run without the tuner -- tuner in bypass > mode.. Same comment on the 80 meter Inv V. If tuned to 3910, why the > tuner? Unless you are running more than 100 KHz from the sweet spot. You > should be doing well into the Rag Chew net with your INV V at the height > you have it.. > > Reconfirm that your antennas are tuned to the freqs you want. Lowest SWR > reading as close to the antenna feedpoint as you can. Then make sure your > transmission line is providing the maximum power out from your xcvr. > > I hope you have a separate SWR power meter at your station, so you can see > just how much power the xcvr is putting out. This is pretty critical to be > able to see this. > > I read that it seems that both antennas are having a problem of some > type. As Jeff suggests, testing your transmission lines for maximum power > transfer to the antennas is a good step to take and provide you with a bit > of confidence in your installation. There are a few ways to do this with > dummy loads and watt meters being switched around. > > Keep us all posted on your testing and system checkout. You'll get there > for sure. > > GL and 73....Rick -- W5RH > > > > > <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=icon> > Virus-free. > www.avast.com > <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=link> > <#m_-6680050004554258609_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> > > On Fri, Oct 16, 2020 at 6:56 PM Chad Kitzmann via BVARC <[email protected]> > wrote: > > I’ve been a Ham since 2017 and have an 857d. Running a multi fan dipole > from 2017 until I had to cut the tree down it was in in 2019 I had dismal > contacts with anyone on 80, 40, and 20. > Covid gave me some time to be at home and I setup a Hustler 6BT and have > it tuned with my MFJ 269c. I know it’s a solar minimum but I’ve made very > few contact. I can hardly reach the Texas Traffic Net and I try each day. > I might get a check in 2 times a month. I have yet to be able to check > into the 3.910 Wednesday net. I can hear everyone but no one can hear me. > > I recently built an 40/80 meter coil dipole that is an inverted v that’s > 18 feet at the center and 6 feet at the ends - nobody hears me with 100 > watts - even the 3.910 net. > > Is 100 watts just too little these days? Should I be looking to buy an > amp. It seems people with higher power are the only only people who get > heard. It’s very discouraging. I can hear them - just can work them. :( > > - Chad > > ________________________________________________ > Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club > > BVARC mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org > > > > -- > Rick Hiller > *e-mail: [email protected] <[email protected]>* > *Cell: 832-474-3713* > *Physical: 9031 Troulon Drive* > * Houston, TX 77036* > > ________________________________________________ > Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club > > BVARC mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org > ________________________________________________ > Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club > > BVARC mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org > -- Rick Hiller *e-mail: [email protected] <[email protected]>* *Cell: 832-474-3713* *Physical: 9031 Troulon Drive* * Houston, TX 77036*
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