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Heavyweight
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Username: Heavyweight

Post Number: 63
Registered: 11-2004


Posted on Monday, January 02, 2006 - 9:45 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I read a post about taking the coax(Radio)end and putting it in a glass jar to protect your radio equipment.Is this for real and does it work also how does it work?
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Boxcar
Intermediate Member
Username: Boxcar

Post Number: 358
Registered: 4-2002


Posted on Monday, January 02, 2006 - 9:56 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If you unhook it from the antenna side of it you should be fine. I do that with my coax when it gets a little spooky outside. If it does take a strike, it will short out in the jar and the most you might lose is the antenna and possibly fry the coax. Is your antenna grounded properly? The tower or perhaps whatever you use to get it in the air?
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Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad

Post Number: 620
Registered: 11-2004


Posted on Monday, January 02, 2006 - 10:59 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Lots of flying glass, does not sound like fun to me. Also if the glass superheats it is more likely to start a fire than a large arc as the superheated glass flies all over mulitple ignition points.

Chad
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Goat373
Intermediate Member
Username: Goat373

Post Number: 137
Registered: 3-2005
Posted on Monday, January 02, 2006 - 11:05 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

all it will do ij jump out to something else in the house...but instead of just cleaning up burned equipment, you will also have to pick up glass shards...lighting goes where it wants to, you can try to uhser it where you want it to go by making that an easier path for it, but it still will go where ever it darn well pleases
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Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior

Post Number: 1115
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Monday, January 02, 2006 - 11:10 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The glass jar thing is non-sense.
Your making a glass cocktail grenade and
it could cause a house-fire.
Unhooking it from radio and placing it anywhere
inside the home is asking for trouble. Get yourself a polyphaser and ground equipment properly.

JIm/PA/CEF 375
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Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat

Post Number: 584
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2006 - 10:09 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think that it is insane that there are some still keeping that coax in the jar folklore going. If you are reading this forum, you will see most everyone is talking PolyPhaser to protect equipment and yourself. If you still think putting your coax in a jar is going to save you, you might as well put some explosives in the jar so when you get a lightning strike the explosives will go off and hopefully put you out of your misery. Without the explosives you are going to be in a lot of pain from the glass shrapnel. Plus it will be a long recovery because you will be picking glass out your *** for awhile.

Does that answer your question. Sorry but some are hardheaded. Read the post in Antenna's and Installations to get ideas on how to hook up your system. Read the review on PolyPhasers. Go to PolyPhasers web site and read up on them.

A lot of what the locals tell you is a bunch of cb folklore. Your CB is just like the commercial stuff. It just looks, transmits, receives, and has different antennas for the freq's they transmit on. They don't use jars, they use PolyPhasers, Single Point grounding, etc.

All this can be found on Copper or on the net!

Wildrat
CEF674
EGCCC
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Al_lafon
Intermediate Member
Username: Al_lafon

Post Number: 133
Registered: 3-2005
Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2006 - 10:12 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

What The !!! Ok lets give out a reward for Clasic CB fokelore. just use a good equipment
ground like polyphaser also try to make the path
straight line as you can try not to have 90% turns. Yes do undo your coax when a strom comes
calling this will keep your front end safe.
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Boxcar
Intermediate Member
Username: Boxcar

Post Number: 359
Registered: 4-2002


Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2006 - 10:14 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well I guess there's your answer...........
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Heavyweight
Member
Username: Heavyweight

Post Number: 64
Registered: 11-2004


Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2006 - 4:02 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Here the this forum in the section called suscriber preview under protecting you equipment from lighting was were i found this info.

The ONLY reliable way to assure that your equipment will be safe from a lightning storm is to unhook the antenna and stick it in some form of glass (I use a pickle jar) and to pull out the power cord from the wall .
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Coyote
Advanced Member
Username: Coyote

Post Number: 663
Registered: 11-2004


Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2006 - 4:30 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Heavyweight, yes, that post does exsist, but was posted in 2001, a very old post with no replies, which is somewhat surprising. DO NOT do as that post indicates, you'd be better off un-hooking the coax and tossing it back outside as opposed to placing it in a glass jar and keeping it in your house.

If placed in a jar, it will either a. cause the jar to explode, or b. come out of the jar and then you have a coax flying around the room with a fire ball on the end of it.
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Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat

Post Number: 589
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2006 - 4:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I looked to see if I could find that statement. I could not, but anyway don't put your coax in a jar.If you disconnect it put it out the window. Try to get yourself a polyphaser, and do single point grounding.

Wildrat
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Keithinatlanta
Advanced Member
Username: Keithinatlanta

Post Number: 717
Registered: 3-2003
Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2006 - 9:18 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

We had bad storms in Atlanta yesterday, including several Tornadoes on south side of Atlanta. Several million dollar homes were destroyed! And before all of this, thousands of lightening strikes across metro area.

Ground those antennas boys, cause if you don't, you can just about kiss your sunday afternoon cef net connections goodbye.

Keith in Atlanta
CEF 150
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Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat

Post Number: 590
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2006 - 11:17 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

LON or one of the other techs, would it be a good idea to go to the post they are speaking of and put a short note there about glass jars and lightning? The post is by 307, and is titled protect your equipment from lightning. Actually the entire post could be deleted as it does not say anything really on protecting your equip. I think this tale should be stopped before someone gets hurt, like the operator, his child or wife that happens to be walking by when shards of glass from there Vlasic pickle jar comes tearing thru there flesh and then the rats come because of the smell of fresh blood and start eating the small pieces of meat laying around. Seriously though put a note there or something to help other new comers looking for answers.

Wildrat
CEF674
EGCCC
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Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833

Post Number: 1144
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 12:56 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

That glass jar thing just won't go away!!!

If I post something about cutting your CB mic cord as short as possible makes your audio louder, how long do you think THAT would haunt us?
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Al_lafon
Intermediate Member
Username: Al_lafon

Post Number: 136
Registered: 3-2005
Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 10:43 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It's like cuting coax to adjust your SWR
( Now i'll sit back and read the remarks that one
gets ) Who cuts coax to set the SWR ?Lets see what this brings in. Lets see anyone ever splice
coax!
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Sinker
Intermediate Member
Username: Sinker

Post Number: 330
Registered: 8-2005


Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 10:09 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

So I should:
1) Shorten My Microphone Cord as much as possible
2) Cut my coax to adjust my SWR
& 3) Get a good quality pickle jar to put my coax in during the storms we have out here.

Thanks for the input as I am almost ready to start running the new coax to the antenna. Good to know I don't have to lower it back down to make adjustments as I can just cut the coax and if I cut off to much I can splice in some extra.
I can get my Microphone cord real short so I should sound great.

Did I get all this right and should I know of anything else???

Thanks,
Tim
CEF-634
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Kid_vicious
Advanced Member
Username: Kid_vicious

Post Number: 983
Registered: 9-2004
Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 10:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

tim, you're a funny guy!
how goes the new station progress?
matt
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Sinker
Intermediate Member
Username: Sinker

Post Number: 331
Registered: 8-2005


Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 11:27 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

KV, I still have the new 213 in my office, my Galaxy Saturn Turbo is with Wizard having the magic touch done to it. Plus two new toys should be arriving soon.
Ever since I have been back from Iowa I have been laid up in bed sick though. Doc says about another week so I figure I can get up and around in a day or two.
Need to climb the tower and bring down the Maco to install the new connector plus I want to dial that SWR in to as close to 1:1.1 across the board as possible.
Going to still be a little while yet but I will be on the air again soon.

Tim
CEF-634
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Kid_vicious
Advanced Member
Username: Kid_vicious

Post Number: 988
Registered: 9-2004
Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 12:22 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

dont feel too bad tim; we're planning on moving in about a month, so my antenna is down at the moment.
only mobile for another month or two.
matt
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Kj7gs
Junior Member
Username: Kj7gs

Post Number: 38
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 2:50 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I may just have to post a picture of a coax end in a jar as part of a QSL card. Folks would get a (ahem) charge out of it, don't ya think?
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Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad

Post Number: 629
Registered: 11-2004


Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 9:03 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

KV, My condolences! The last move almost killed me. Puting two houses of stuff into one We had 8 TV's at one point! Aggghhhh, I don't even watch TV!

kj7gs, Better yey a pic of coax in a whiskey bottle :-) That would sum it up!

Chad
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Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833

Post Number: 1147
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 9:42 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Al Lafon- Trimming coax length does not always affect the feedpoint impedance or reactance, but DOES affect the rotation. It is true, in certain cases, that IS an antenna tuning method.

Now that us broadcasters are having to adapt out antenna systems to IBOC operation, the rotation is a very real factor for us. Adding coax loops in the attic or under the building, or building advance/delay networks is becomming very common practice.
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Hollowpoint445
Advanced Member
Username: Hollowpoint445

Post Number: 994
Registered: 6-2004
Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 5:04 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I'd like to see that QSL card! What brand of whiskey would be best?

8 TVs sounds like a good Sunday of watching football!
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Patzerozero
Senior Member
Username: Patzerozero

Post Number: 2201
Registered: 7-2004


Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 8:30 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

'If I post something about cutting your CB mic cord as short as possible makes your audio louder, how long do you think THAT would haunt us?'-come on, 833, it HAS to make your audio louder if you shorten the mic cord-LESS LINE LOSS. i think the jo gunn engineers are the ones who designed the short mic cords....
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Hollowpoint445
Senior Member
Username: Hollowpoint445

Post Number: 1001
Registered: 6-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 10:13 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wow-what a great idea! I can't belive I never thought about that. Is there an advantage to using a coiled cord rather than a straight one? Should I try to find a dual coil cord? How about volting my D104?
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Kid_vicious
Advanced Member
Username: Kid_vicious

Post Number: 993
Registered: 9-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 10:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

i have just devised a method of co-phasing two D104's using a custom "cophase mic cord" and a double bass drum peddal.
it works so great! all the locals say i sound really loud. now i am in stereo!

anyone want to buy a bridge?

in all seriousness, has anyone tried running a mixer, and like, eight mics at once?
matt
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Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat

Post Number: 607
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 11:12 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Back in 30 A.D. I was in a chariot race and ran eight mice's at once over a bridge.

Wildrat
CEF674
EGCCC
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Patzerozero
Senior Member
Username: Patzerozero

Post Number: 2210
Registered: 7-2004


Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 12:19 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

no hollowpoint, STRAIGHT cord, coiling it makes it longer, come on, think antenna, dual coils make the antenna LONGER which is a good thing, & but doing the same to the mic cable would thereby increase AUDIO LOSS, exactly what we are trying to eliminate.

as for volting your d104...the amplifier in the +2 DOES accept much more then 12 volts...we tried lots of things when we were 14 years old. and kid, back around '76 or so, lafayette radio is where we got the MIXER & REVERB from. a little rewiring for 5pin DIN plugs of the era & we had some of the earliest ECHO & TALKBACK around. foot pedals for keying multiple circuits/noises(a lot of switching was done by relay then, not electronically), whammy bar set up to emulate golden eagle mkIII ping...guitar & early DJ type equipment went a long way on CB 'back in the day'.
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Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833

Post Number: 1149
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 11:20 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have tried using professional audio gear driven into the wideband audio input on a ham radio, and it sounded really neat. VERY loud and smooth with full audio spectrum response, but completely undistorted. I had Hi-Fi AM broadcast quality audio and compared to me, everyone else sounded like quiet little Japanese transistor radios. Boy, THAT was a lot of fun! Everyone asking what kind of mic I was running... Shure SM5 was the answer, but all the other stuff plugged in is what made the big difference. People DEMANDING to know what I was running is was made it so dang funny.
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Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad

Post Number: 634
Registered: 11-2004


Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 7:21 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I was using a EV RE20, into a tube preamp, into a orban parametric EQ, into an Invonics limiter on the air, it sounded GREAT! That was wiht the Galaxy, haven't tried it on the 257 yet :-) Haven't had to.

Chad
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Al_lafon
Intermediate Member
Username: Al_lafon

Post Number: 150
Registered: 3-2005
Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 8:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The BigBoys had a good time both found a new bed
in county lockup. Well we have some jerks here
in Maryland on 31AM. They got into a mess as they
went looking for someone keying on them both are
always running 1KW class amps at home and in the
trucks seems they went around and around the same
area till they set off someones home alarm 23 times in a row got 28 callins and one guy made
a u turn on someones lawn. O and i just sat back
with good old scanner fired up as you did hear
car alarms in the mics when they keyed. this was
a 4 hour event! Till 8 cars showed up.
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Kid_vicious
Senior Member
Username: Kid_vicious

Post Number: 1001
Registered: 9-2004
Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 10:58 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

al, thats real radio fun!

chad, what is it with all the muso's i meet on the radio using RE20's?

did you guys all go to the same workshop?

i dont have anything against the mic; its just that its proponents in this area tend to be very long winded and non inflective in their speech patterns.
my answer is always the same when asked, "how do i sound?"

"boring!"

matt
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Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad

Post Number: 637
Registered: 11-2004


Posted on Monday, January 09, 2006 - 9:03 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

They are used extensively in broadcast. That's where I got mine. For live use they were also very popular on bass, low toms, and kick drum. Better, smaller mics came out (audix, sennheiser) and we all switched over to those. Now there's a boat-load of RE20's out there for the pickings.

I like the lack of proximity effect and the smooth low end. It can get a really big sound out of the box without picking up ambient noise. I can have the stereo on low when using it and the other end does not know it! it will not thin out as you back away or reduce the gain. That's why I like it.

I'm not long winded on the rado, It's a momentary switch, I'm a soundguy, I can't keep my finger in one place for too long :-)

Chad
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Moonraker
Intermediate Member
Username: Moonraker

Post Number: 128
Registered: 3-2005


Posted on Monday, January 09, 2006 - 10:32 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Al, that is the funniest thing i've heard in a long time. I never got into any trouble like that, but your story really brings back memories.

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