Antennas, coax, and temperature

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Asmitty0010

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This may or may not sound odd but does temperature make a difference in reception? - i would say so after what i'm experiencing. I'm running multiple roof top antennas to my motorola astro units and reception is always decent but when it's cold (it has to be atleast 20 degrees or colder outdoors) and my reception drastically improves. I was told that when it's cold like that the electrons run easier through the coax with less resistance and less loss...is that true?

Also for anybody that knows what would cause this....is there a way to make it so that even when it's above the 20 degree mark i can still receive what I can when it's cold? Better coax? Amps?

Thanks for any help.
 

ka3jjz

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While there are temperature related events that can improve or change reception, there's no such thing as 'the electrons run easier through the coax with less resistance and less loss' . For that to happen you would need temperatures you could not survive. What a crock! If I had a shop man tell me that, and I was his boss, he'd get a stern lecture.

You haven't said much about your setup but better antennas and coax will let you hear more. Amps should only be used after you have improved your setup as much as you can. Height and better grade of coax are the keys.

73 Mike
 

Don_Burke

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What he said.

Yes, if you supercool copper it conducts better, but an 80 degree or so change is not going to be noticeable

I would look around for a crappy connection in the antenna system that gets better when it is colder.
 

Asmitty0010

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thanks for the replys! As far as my set up goes, the coax run is probably 100 feet and is there is a break in the coax where i have it grounded. Thats the only part of the run that uses connectors other than where it's connected to the antenna and then the radio.
 
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N_Jay

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If you truly notice an improvement somewhere below freezing, I would bet you have water in the line or connectors.

Water is conductive, Ice is not.
 

n5ims

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There may also be loose connections that make cause noise when the coax moves around some. When things are hot, the plastic parts of the coax may soften up and may allow it to move around more, but when cold, the coax is stiffer and may not move around as much.
 

Asmitty0010

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Today it's about 44 degrees and I did one last final attempt on receiving those weak signals. I bought a $20 Coax booster (15dB gain) and put it inline about a foot after my antenna just to test. Plugged it in to 12volt dc power and I am receiving those signals again.

So i'm pretty sure whatever is happening it's due to line loss and when it's cold there is less loss in the line....only thing i can think of.

Thanks for all the help!
 
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