Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2010 17:57:16 -0700
Reply-To: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Goofy CB + Coolant LED Stuff! (sorta friday content)
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTin9GVy1VOQRs8RsEfQ0D9S3KnW5TCDKyQSy2=ZP@mail.gmail.com>
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Thanks Jim and David.
I didn't realize it might harm components to have antenna hampered like that.
Just moved it outside using a piece of pre drilled galvanized steel.
Kinda funny looking (those who show up to Catherine Creek can point
and laff) but is stable. The strip of steel is mounted to the 2 screws
on front nose of luggage rack. End is bent more or less like a
triangle. 3 cable straps later, it's on there good.
At least it's up higher than the roof now and I likely won't burn out
anything! :)
Neil.
On 9/3/10, Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@gmail.com> wrote:
> Neil -
>
> Its spurious RF from your VERY poorly mounted antenna every time you
> transmit. That close to the instruments, things can go wacky, even if it's
> only 5 watts, because there's virtually no RF shielding in the Print Circuit
> Foil and the instruments/lights themselves
>
> In addition, while the mounting the mag antenna on the dash might look cool,
> it's gonna play havoc with your Standing Wave Ratio (aka SWR) of your CB's
> transmit amplifying the spurious RF emissions, makes your transmit final
> transistors work overtime, eventually causing them to burn out (even with
> the fail-safe diodes in the radio) and of course reduce your transmit
> capability to nil. The antenna has to be mounting outside to work properly
> and do away with the spurious RF.
> I'm not going to get into extensive discussion of Radio SWR except to say
> that the lower the SWR, the better your receive and transmit. Ideal is
> 1.5:1. Above 2.0:1 is when it falls way off. Above 3.0:1 can damage your
> radio. A good communications shop with the proper meter can measure and if
> the antenna's adjustable (within a narrow parameter), they can fix it. But
> as I said the antenna's gotta go on the outside, preferable mounted on the
> rain gutter and not the luggage rack or poptop bvecause you won't get a
> proper "groundplane" for the radio to properly work.
>
> If you wanna communicate short distance between vehicles, get a pair of
> cheep FRS walkie-talkie radios.
>
> YMMV
> --
> Jim Thompson
> 84 GL 1.9 "Gloria"
> 84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
> 72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
> 75 914 1.8 "Nancy"
> Full Timing Since March 1999
> oldvolkshome@gmail.com
> http://www.oldvolkshome.com
> ***********************************
> On Fri, Sep 3, 2010 at 1:58 PM, neil n <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi all.
>>
>> Bernie and I are on the road having a great time.
>>
>> Just left camp this morning and was heading uphill when.....
>>
>> Blinking coolant LED! Ack! (this was a self installed WBX relay/etc)
>>
>> It would go on for a few seconds, then off, repeat. I alerted Bernie
>> via CB. (The one I installed yesterday and connected to the aux.
>> battery system) I had also installed a short magnetic base antenna on
>> the dash. (works fine for short distance btw. Easy to take down)
>>
>> Didn't panic as I had checked the engine bay this morning. I knew
>> there wasn't anything wrong with the cooling system. But...... it kept
>> blinking.
>>
>> Pulled over. Found that when I keyed the CB, coolant LED would go on.
>> Huh. Disconnect antenna, light stopped blinking. Huh. Figured it was
>> some kind of current draw affecting the WBX relay (fridge was on DC
>> etc.). But this didn't really make sense. Anyway. Decided this wasn't
>> a big problem and we continued on. STill puzzled.....
>>
>> I'm thinking maybe my self installed supply line from aux battery to
>> stock fuse panel was some how involved. (really how could that be???)
>> Then....
>>
>> Thought since I had plugged in my DC personal fanto the ciggy lighter
>> this morning, it might be involved. Unplugged it, problem gone.
>> Reason: DC fan cable was picking up RF from the coax cable!
>>
>> Is that goofy or what?? ;)
>>
>> Neil.
>>
>> --
>> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>>
>> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>>
>>
>> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>>
>
--
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
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