Been a ham for 30 years in Minnesota, I have never had an outdoor relay stick
in the cold. About the only way I see cold being an issue is if there is
moisture in with the relay to freeze and stick the relay in position. Watch for
moisture buildup and make sure your wiring is adequate to have full switching
voltages at the relay coil.
I have an SGC-230 remote antenna tuner/coupler that has been 100% trouble free
no matter the temperature for almost 10 years now. It was changing bands
instantly the other night at -19F
Now antenna rotators are an entirely different story...
73
Phil, KBØNES
On Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 09:32:26 AM CST, R. David Eagle via Topband
<topband@contesting.com> wrote:
All,
I know everyone is experiencing the cold especially here in northern MI. Last
night I thought I would fire up the rig and do a few checks on my rx antennas
and noticed none of them worked! I was shocked as just a couple weeks ago they
were all working. I noticed one strange thing while switching the antenna
switch around a few times that my selections were intermittent. Some times
they would work and sometimes they wouldn't. Now, granted it was -10 here last
night but, is it really possible that the relays have been so cold that the
failed to fully actuate? The relays in the switch are your standard automotive
style rated about 10 amps. I can't say for certain the quality of them though.
Is there a particular style/brand I should consider so I don't run in to this
again?
Thanks again,
DaveKB8NNU
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