CQ-Contest
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [CQ-Contest] interference in so2r station

To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] interference in so2r station
From: Kostas SV1DPI <sv1dpi2@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2022 21:27:06 +0300
List-post: <mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
Thank you for helping

Interference is the same from R1 to R2 as from R2 to R1.

I am afraid that Jim hit the nail... I have a metallic roof, I changed it 2 years ago, and the problem seems to be bigger the last time. I have not combined it with the roof but this is possible... It is true also that the noise is bigger when antenna looks the building. I hope it will be easier to solve it...

73 Kostas SV1DPI

Στις 30/3/2022 11:43, ο/η Jim Brown έγραψε:
On 3/29/2022 12:03 PM, Kostas SV1DPI wrote:
Any thought what to look for or what to test?

Yes. W3LPL identified the common problem of "passive intermod" that occurs outside the normal RF path by rectification in some non-linear device. Some common culprits are 1) the mechanical junction between the fixed and rotating part of antenna rotators; 2) switch-mode power supplies; 3) imperfect junctions between two conductors that could be ANYWHERE, and there's enough metal or wire connected to them that acts both as a receiving antenna for our transmitted RF and a transmitting antenna for the intermod products.

The intermod products are harmonics of the transmitted signal, and for obvious reasons, the harmonics of 80 to 40 CW, 40 to 20 CW are the most problematic, because of where they land, and because the most common SO2R operation is on adjacent bands.

The solution to the rotator is to bond around it; the solution to SMPS is to search and destroy (or replace). It generally takes two hams (at least) to find them. First, rotate the TX and RX antennas to find direction where it's worst. Then, one guy transmits, the other walks around with a battery operated radio looking for where the harmonic is strongest. If the antennas are on different towers with rotators, it can be possible to triangulate by also rotating the RX antenna.

Example of other IMD culprits -- I live in the mountains where wild fires are a major hazard, so I recently had a steel roof installed. LOTS imperfect junctions, massive passive intermod! The possibilities are endless.

73, Jim K9YC
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>