New Base Station Setup very quiet

[Radiomatrix]

I am looking at a big failure here.
Long story short; My base station setup is very quiet.
I suspect my 40 year old A-99 has seen better days.

Replacing the antenna will be my next step: What would be a good replacement for the A-99?

 

[dave3825]

Before you replace the antenna, you should test the coax.

 

[Radiomatrix]

Coax New. Continuity checks ok.

 

[dkcorlfla]

I am looking at a big failure here.
Long story short; My base station setup is very quiet.
I suspect my 40 year old A-99 has seen better days.

Replacing the antenna will be my next step: What would be a good replacement for the A-99?

A-99 CB antenna? Are you working on a CB base station? If so what does the SWR look like?

BTW - there was a very strong solar storm that wrecked ham HF, would think CB would have been knocked out as well.

 

[Radiomatrix]

A-99 CB antenna? Are you working on a CB base station? If so what does the SWR look like?

BTW - there was a very strong solar storm that wrecked ham HF, would think CB would have been knocked out as well.

yes, president washington base station.

1:1 channel 1, ~1.3. channel 40

QUESTION: coax comes in through the wall from outside, it runs adjacent to some 110v supply in EMT for a few feet. Will the proximity of power cables in conduit affect reception?

 

[merlin]

With decent coax, no.
That solar storm has a heavy effect across all the VLF to VHFspectrum.

 

[dave3825]

Did you test the antenna?

Inside the Antron 99 antenna?

http://www.radiomanual.info/schemi/ACC_antenna/Solarcon_A-99_review.pdf

 

[Radiomatrix]

What do you lean by test the antenna?

 

[dkcorlfla]

yes, president washington base station.

1:1 channel 1, ~1.3. channel 40

QUESTION: coax comes in through the wall from outside, it runs adjacent to some 110v supply in EMT for a few feet. Will the proximity of power cables in conduit affect reception?

Looks like with such a low and good SWR the antenna is good unless it is somehow acting as a dummy load ;-)

Steel EMT should fully shield or maybe a better way to say it is the RFI from the AC lines should be fully contained inside the conduit.

If the AC was causing trouble you would hear a 60 Hz buzz with a high noise floor. BTW - a quick, cheap and easy way to find AC RFI is to use a small portable AM radio and tune it between stations so it only has static. As you walk around any source of AC RFI will wake up the AM radio with the buzz.