Hum from scantenna

[KG7JEV]

I just bought a scantenna and put it on my roof. Its about 25 ft high or so, on a 5ft mast. My question is how do I get rid of this awful hum? I ran the coax along the edge of the roof and in through an existing coax hole is the side of the house. This is the first time I have put up an antenna, so I'm a newbie. What could be causing this hum? I don;t get it with the regular antenna. What may cause the hum?
Thanks for the help.

 

[trooperdude]

What type of hum.

Audio hum on your scanner or ??

Is the antenna grounded ?

Is your electrical system grounded ?

 

[n2mdk]

I guess the Scantenna just doesn't know the words

Forgive me I just couldn't resist.

 

[hoser147]

Did ya use the coax that came with the antenna? If not you may want to run that and try it. Check any and all connections. Hoser

 

[paracom]

hummm

Are you able to hook the scanner to the antenna with a short patch cable? This should be the quickest way to isolate the prob.
Hum on all freq? Re check connectors on both ends, is it a pre-assembled cable?
Make sure the coax is not running parallel to any a/c wiring, keep it 3ft away if possible.
Any sharp bends in the run, like 90deg turns?
Good Luck!

 

[KG7JEV]

I guess the Scantenna just doesn't know the words

Forgive me I just couldn't resist.

I dont get it?

 

[KG7JEV]

Did ya use the coax that came with the antenna? If not you may want to run that and try it. Check any and all connections. Hoser

I am using the 50 ft rg6 that came with it.

 

[KG7JEV]

Are you able to hook the scanner to the antenna with a short patch cable? This should be the quickest way to isolate the prob.
Hum on all freq? Re check connectors on both ends, is it a pre-assembled cable?
Make sure the coax is not running parallel to any a/c wiring, keep it 3ft away if possible.
Any sharp bends in the run, like 90deg turns?
Good Luck!

It has a couple of 90deg bends. I have a pro-97 scanner, so i'll get up there with that scanner and a short patch and see what it sounds like.

 

[KG7JEV]

What is the best way to ground the antenna? There is a grounding wire that is mounted on the mast to the cable where the main electrical comes to the hosue form the powerlines. I don't have much faith in this method. Whats the best way to re-do the grounding?

 

[hoser147]

Sounds like your headin in the right direction, just have to Isolate where the problem is. As far as the grounding ITs much easier to look at it in the WiKi than to go into it. Is your coax ran near anything else that could cause the hum? It could be something in your computer, a florescent light fixture, appliances, any thing of that nature....Hoser

 

[SLWilson]

Could be....

I just bought a scantenna and put it on my roof. Its about 25 ft high or so, on a 5ft mast. My question is how do I get rid of this awful hum? I ran the coax along the edge of the roof and in through an existing coax hole is the side of the house. This is the first time I have put up an antenna, so I'm a newbie. What could be causing this hum? I don;t get it with the regular antenna. What may cause the hum?
Thanks for the help.

If this is your first "outside" antenns, the hum could be simply "in the air" in your neighborhood.

We used to have a hum that pretty much destroyed ANY low band reception a few years back.

We traced it to the Gallipolis Locks and Dam on the Ohio River.....One day it simply "went away" and everything was "clear" again....

How close are you to your nearest power company transformer. If a transformer is starting to go bad, you'll hear a hum - maybe a little static too.

Now for the bad part, we have a service station on the corner from us. When their compressor runs, I get "noise" from it on my scaner!!!!

As Hoser and a couple of other posters eluded to, try a short jumper at the antenna. While you're up there, you might rotate the antenna and see if the direction changes the hum too. Maybe aime AWAY from the source!

Steve/KB8FAR

 

[rfradioconsult]

Quick question. Are you running the scanner on an AC adaptor? Second, do you hear the hum while the audio is squelched, or is it present while un-squelched.

 

[Scott_PHX_APP]

I dont get it?

If it's huming then it just doen't know the words... :roll:
I have to admit, I was going to say "teach it words", but I didn't think it would be nice to do with a somewhat new member... :wink:
Later...

BTW, if I understood you right, there is a ground wire running to the meter drop from the mast your antenna is on? Might be the problem right there? Not a GOOD ground after all...

 

[Ghost4658]

Run your ground from your ant pipe to the ground rod in the ground at your power meter box on your house clamp the wire on to the ground rod not the wire going from your meter to the rod.
Clean the rod with sand paper first.

 

[ampulman]

Run your ground from your ant pipe to the ground rod in the ground at your power meter box on your house clamp the wire on to the ground rod not the wire going from your meter to the rod.
Clean the rod with sand paper first.

Your post made me think. As I am sitting at my computer in my PJ's, I can't go outside to check.

As I recall, either my telephone or cable ground wire is clamped to the ground wire from my entrance panel. In light of the short distance of travel, what is the difference?

I know that if one is using multiple ground rods, they should be bonded. Can't recall reading whether to bond rod-to-rod, or wire- to wire.

AM

 

[KG7JEV]

I've been so busy this week, I haven't been able to check anythign yet, but I'll post info as soon as I try these ideas. Thanks for everyone's help.