[IRCA] Indoor vertical update

["Craig Healy" <bubba@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I made a minor change in the indoor balanced vertical this evening and it
was a good improvement.

Until now it had been a couple of rooms away fed by a 40' length of RG-58 50
ohm coax.  There was a significant noise issue and a number of birdies that
swamped a number of frequencies.  And, some electrical buzz would run for 30
seconds on and a minute off.  Gave me 2/3rds DX time.

I replaced the RG-58 with CAT5 ethernet cable of about the same 40' length.
At each end is a 110 to 50 ohm balun.  The 50 ohm side goes to the antenna
and the receiver.  The CAT5 cable is a nominal 110 ohm impedence.
Additionally I use a 450 to 50 ohm balun on the antenna.  I really could
have just used a 450 to 110 ohm transformer if I had such a beast, but no...

What it did was to pretty near remove all the noise and birdies.  I can
listen to weak signals now and the noise is under them.  Some problem noises
simply vanished and none are really a pest right now.  1330 was unuseable
most of the time but WSPQ-1330 Springville, NY has been fading in and out.
The noise would have buried it before the cable change.  1140 was equally
unusable, but now it's clear.

I have to say I am very pleased with using CAT5 ethernet cable instead of
coax.  Noise and signal ingress is much less.  It's also cheaper and much
easier to put connectors on the ends.  I have tried it to connect a ferrite
loop in my truck but it really didn't help reduce the ignition noise.  I
think I'm stuck with that until I swap the 350 Chevy V8 for a Cummins 4BT
diesel.

For those who may not have seen the vertical antenna article, it's here:
http://www.am-dx.com/vertical.htm

Craig Healy
Providence, RI


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