Question about radials

[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

A couple of weeks ago, my Comet CX-333 antenna blew down. I checked it over, and except for the radials being bent, there didn't seem to be any damage. I straightened them as best I could and put it back up, but now a couple of repeaters I used to use easily are not receiving me clearly. I'm told I have a lot of static and a weak signal. Bumping up the power doesn't seem to make any difference. This morning, on my clubs regular morning net, I was told I had "a little white noise". That's never happened before; I'm usually crystal clear on that repeater.

Disregard. I think I have it figured out.

How critical is it that the radials have the precise downward angle they had before they were damaged? It doesn't seem as if it should make that much difference, but I'm new to this. Is it more likely that there was damage to the antenna itself that just wasn't apparent to me? If it's the radials, I'll order a set from Comet, but I don't want to do that and then find out it doesn't make any difference.

 

[EAFrizzle]

I'd tend to suspect internal damage to the radiating element. Bent radials will alter your pattern somewhat, but it shouldn't be as big of a difference as what you described.

 

[prcguy]

Yup, expect very minor changes from bending radials up or down some, problem is elsewhere.

 

[K9KLC]

Did you pull the antenna apart in the middle and look at the connection where the two parts go together? I had a friends come down a while back and his center connection had become loose and was causing him a problem check the Allen screws in there and make sure they're tight. I don't think order radials, they're not the problem.

 

[prcguy]

I have two CX333s and both internal element couplings came loose in the middle of the antennas. Both were bought used and reconnecting the elements fixed the problem.

 

[mmckenna]

Did you check SWR?

I'd not only look at internal antenna damage, but damage to the coax/coax connector, if it got yanked really hard in the fall.

 

[Golay]

I'll be another one thinking something became ajar inside the antenna during the fall.

 

[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

So...I figured it out. Here's what happened:

The coax from my antennas routes into a box where they go into lightning arresters and they are all bonded and grounded. From each lightning arrester, 10' of LMR400 goes to a passthrough panel into the radio shack. When I put the antenna back up, I replaced the 50' of KMR400 with 75' of Bolton LMR400 equivalent. I tested the antenna with that coax and plugged it back into the lightning arrester. I did not go inside and test the line in that configuration. I know, I know...but I had quite a bit of other wind damage on my mind at the time.

After thinking about it yesterday, I tested the line where it plugs into the radio and SWR was off the chart. I don't know if somehow the lightning arrester blew, something happened to the coax, or something else, but the problem was somewhere from the lightning arrester to the passthrough panel. I plugged the antenna into an unused circuit inside the box and SWRs were all below 1.75:1 on 2m, 1.25m, and 70cm. I'm getting "loud and clear" signal reports on my club's 70cm and 2m repeaters. The only 1.25m repeater I can reach is down right now, but I don't have any reason to think it won't be good as well.

So there you have it. Don't forget to check everything when you install something. Fortunately, my radio didn't burn up. I'll chase down the problem with that circuit some other day.