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Message |
    
Ashtray
New member
Username: Ashtray
Post Number: 1
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 1:23 pm: | 
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Does extreme cold effect swr's? Today I woke up with a wind chill of -30 and my swr's are practically off the map. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 2090
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 3:20 pm: |
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Must be a florida antenna ...... +50 is cold to us. |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4547
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 3:25 pm: |
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Ashtray,
WELCOME TO THE COPPER FORUM!
Never had any problems with the Cold bothering or changing my SWR Readings over the years with the Beams or Omni antennas I have used.
I posted pictures of my beams covered with 2 inches of Ice for a week and completely bent out of shape and SWR stayed at 1:1
Right now the temp is 8 degrees and beams are covered with Ice again and SWR is still 1:1.
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN
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Gage
Intermediate Member
Username: Gage
Post Number: 127
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 3:27 pm: |
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Ashtray
Its a nice -6 below and I have no problems with any of my antennas!I.m located in Northern Iowa,have you ever talked into Iowa on short dx?
Gage |
Leonard
Intermediate Member
Username: Leonard
Post Number: 103
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 4:54 pm: |
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Well it was -18 b-low here in Minnesota and no problems with my antenna.
Glad I am not in northern Mn it going to get to
-50 to -60 b-low soon thats air temps.
73 cef #189 Len So,Minnesota |
Allagator
Advanced Member
Username: Allagator
Post Number: 537
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 5:31 pm: |
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i dont know about you guys but the wind and ice that stuck to my antenna (Gatorod) has broke it in two the 12 meter Gatorod is still in good shape but the 11 meter one is gone !! good thing i just got 2 ham 4 rotors to get the M104c going again !!!!
so i will miss the next net !!!!!!
Sorry guys !!!
Allagator
CEF 115
AM MID-WEST NET CONTROL |
That ELCO Guy (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 5:38 pm: |
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Actually YES it can have an effect under certain cercumstances. You see temperature effects the resistance of wire and other conductive materials. Example thermal runaway in a transostor--the hotter it, the transistor, gets the less resistance it has meaning more current flows meaning it gets hotter conducting more current ....
SO in theory I guess it is possible for extreme tempearure to make the material in your antenna have greater resistance meaning it would RESIST the signal currents causing a change in SWR. In theory of course.
But a catastrophic change may be something else entirely. Did you check for ICE on your antenna? |
Ashtray
New member
Username: Ashtray
Post Number: 2
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 6:17 pm: |
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het guys...thanks for the welcome and the replys. I'm not new though actually. I lost my old account info and reregistered. i went by Sofkow here and I am proud to say that I am CEF#299. Hopefully I don't have to get that number reissued too. I'm not sure what the deal with the swr's were this morning, as right now they are in check. Maybe a loose connection. Gage...I haven't talked to Iowa yet, mostly california. I did hear someone 2 hours ago on 27.385L from Iowa. Perhaps you?
I'll try to make it to the CEF net on Sunday and see if'n I can shout at some of y'all. I usually don't make the time cause I'm still sleeping those lazy sunday mornings away. |
Kirk
Intermediate Member
Username: Kirk
Post Number: 268
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 9:50 pm: |
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Lon you must have a magic antenna. Any antenna I've ever had was always affected by icing. |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4549
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 9:57 pm: |
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Kirk,
I have the SE Quads, Imax 2000, ANTTRON 2/6 Antenna and none have ever been effected.
Turtle CEF #165 MACO V/5000.
Redman CEF #156 A-99
Corncob CEF#166 / IMAX 2000
Homeboy CEF #159 / ANTTRON 305
All have the same ice and conditons and it has not effected any of us over the years here in central Illinois.
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN |
Gage
Intermediate Member
Username: Gage
Post Number: 128
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 9:00 am: |
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Ashtray
Thats very possible it was me the reason I asked was I have made contacts up that way.I think Monday night we had short DX and I takled to a guy around La Crosse maybe I'll hear you one day.
take all!GAGE |
Troublemaker
Member
Username: Troublemaker
Post Number: 60
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 9:39 am: |
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could it be oxidation on the antenna or at the coax connector? |
Racer X (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 2:46 pm: |
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My guess is that there is moisture somewhere. Connector, coax, matching unit for the antenna - it's tough to say. Somewhere ice spread something apart, caused capcitance to increase and detuned the system. |
Supertech1
New member
Username: Supertech1
Post Number: 3
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - 12:50 am: |
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if you have enough bird do-do and water on your antenna...it can short something out...can't it?!! |
Starface
New member
Username: Starface
Post Number: 7
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - 7:42 pm: |
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If you live in an area where rain and/or sleet is common, wipe your antenna down with a rag that has been coated with WD-40, Armor-All, Pledge, light oil, etc. This trick prevents ice build up that can overload and cause your antenna to break. In an emergency use butter, cooking oil or anything else that will repel water.
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