John:

Will try another outlet, and yes, I do have an Astron RS35 transformer-type
power supply in my main ham shack here at the house that I can take out of
there and try in the trailer.

Will let you know how I do, and please keep those suggestions coming.

73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 1:51 PM
Subject: Re: continuing RFI problems in travel trailer


> I don't know about the power strip but I know in the cottage I rent on
> vacation, I popped a few breakers last year and a GFI breaker mainly due
to
> a bad outlet when I tried to transmit on my 706 on 40 meters, I guess the
> current draw sis something, I plugged it in elsewhere and it worked fine
but
> then I later was vacuuming when we were leaving thee and it finished that
> outlet off, so it might be the power strip, or the outlet. The power
supply
> should handle it, but if you have a transformer one around, or can borrow
> one, it's something to try. That's a strange one. Can you plug it in other
> places in there and see what that does?
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "T Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 1:19 PM
> Subject: continuing RFI problems in travel trailer
>
>
> > Hi, all.
> >
> > I hate to bug everyone again about this, but I continue to have a
nagging
> > RFI problem in the 18-foot Fleetwood Pioneer travel trailer that my XYL
> > and
> > I recently purchased.
> >
> > To review, when operating HF, I tend to cut off the air conditioner
> > whenever
> > keying up on CW.  I don't trip the GFI circuit breaker--I just cut the
> > unit
> > off, and it eventually re-sets itself and resumes normal operation
within
> > a
> > few minutes.  The problem occurs mainly on 20 meters, although it does
> > occur
> > on certain frequencies in other bands as well.  I have found the problem
> > to
> > occur even when reducing my power from 100 watts, say to 50 watts.
> >
> > My HF rig is an Icom 718, and my antenna is a Predator screw-driver-type
> > antenna mounted on the back of the trailer.  I use a device called the
> > Turbo-tuner, to be sure that the antenna is indeed resonant on my
> > operating
> > frequency.
> >
> > The antenna itself is grounded to the bumper of the trailer, and I have
> > installed two other grounds.  One is a ground from the 718 to the frame
of
> > the trailer, and the other ground is an earth ground that runs from the
> > rig
> > to a grounding stake outside of the trailer.
> >
> > I am getting more and more stumped with this problem, although I have
two
> > additional thoughts.  Let me run them by you here;  I just don't want to
> > spend more money unnecessarily on this problem:
> >
> > 1.  I run the 718 with an MFJ Mighty Lite switching power supply.  I
think
> > it's the 4125--it has 25 amps surge, and 22 amps continuous.  Could this
> > type of supply be causing the problem via some sort of stray current
flow?
> > Should I try an old transformer-type supply, such as an Astron RS20, to
> > see
> > if the problem disappears?
> >
> > 2.  I have the rig's power supply plugged into a relatively inexpensive
> > power strip, since I sometimes plug my laptop into it as well.  Is there
a
> > higher-quality power strip that I might want to look at?  Some have
> > suggested a power strip with something called a power isolator in it,
but
> > I'm not quite sure what it is.
> >
> > Please give me your feedback on both of these possible suggested
> > solutions.
> > Or, if you have any other suggestions, please send them to me.
> >
> > Some have suggested trying to put a capacitor across the leads of the
> > trailer's thermostat unit, but I really am hesitant to do that, at the
> > risk
> > of somehow voiding the warranty on the temperature control system.
> >
> > Thanks for anything you can suggest.
> >
> > 73 from Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ, Big Rapids, MI
> >
>