In case it is not clear, the BN-86 is not a matching device. It's a 1:1
balun, and in my experience they are not very reliable. If it were me, I
would replace the BN-86 with a good common-mode choke (one from K9YC's
cookbook).
73, Mike W4EF......
On 4/16/2020 10:17 AM, Jim Brown wrote:
On 4/16/2020 5:20 AM, Brian Rehmer via TowerTalk wrote:
For sometime I have been struggling with noise (S4-7) on HF bands
with my TH-5DX tribander. I have ~125 feet of RG-8 routed to a BN-86
at the antenna feed. There are several other feeds that are bundled
together for 40, 6, and 2 meters in the same run up the tower. The
cables route to the tower from my second floor radio room inside my
house. So, there are lots of things that can couple to the outside
of the feeds. I am considering adding common mode chokes to
reduce/eliminate the noise. A lot of the time the noise covers the
entire 15 M band. I can take a small loop and couple to the feeds at
base of tower and other spots along the feeds and see the noise and
it varies with position. It seem this points to common mode as
culprit. So, there are lots of things that can couple to the outside
of the feeds. I am considering adding common mode chokes to
reduce/eliminate the noise.
That could be a good thing, but you may also need to chase down and
kill the source(s) of the noise. http://k9yc.com/KillingReceiveNoise.pdf
Question is should I add the choke prior to the BN-86 or replace
the BN 86.
The choke should ALWAYS be placed between the antenna designer's
matching device and the coax, and it should always be right at where
the coax connects to it, NOT further down the feedline.
I expect I may need to add chokes to each of the other lines too, but
where.
Where they connect to the antennas.
Should I add in the shack too
No
or just exit from the house to the tower.
No
Study k9yc.com/RFI-Ham.pdf and
http://k9yc.com/2018Cookbook.pdf
The other thing worth noting is that, at this low point in the sunspot
cycle, propagation on 15M and above is pretty stinko, and is likely to
remain so for a couple of years.
73, Jim K9YC
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