Hi Tom.
One thing you might look for is a power strip that has a built in EMI
filter in addition to surge suppression. But, it sounds like you might
have a lot of RF flying around in there. Putting some chokes on some of
the power leads might break that up a little. I haven't heard of an
interaction that severe since the days when I used to use a random wire
loaded against a long ground wire (my shack was on the second floor in
those days). Anyway, I had a Kenwood TR7600 2 meter radio with the RM76
Microprocessor Control Unit which provided 6 memories and scanning. Hot
stuff in 1980. And, I was using a Kenwood TS130S for the HF rig. Anyway,
besides getting enough RF on the controls of the 130S to leave red marks on
my fingers, I managed to very nicely erase the programming on the Kenwood 2
meter radio with it just sitting there on the local repeater while I was
sending CW on 80 meters! I shudder to think what I probably was getting
for RF exposure with that setup. It is why I am not a fan of random wires
for power levels above 5 watts nowadays.
73, de Lou K2LKK
At 10:18 AM 6/6/2007 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi, all.
>
>Well, while this latest RFI thread is going on, I'm sitting here waiting for
>the XYL to come home from her last day of elementary school teaching, when
>we'll be taking off on our RV trip first to Georgia for a family wedding,
>and then to Arizona to visit our son.
>
>Anyway, a very interesting, and somewhat scary, RFI thing happened to me
>yesterday while I was testing my HF set-up in the RV for our trip.
>
>As background, I have an Icom 718 for HF, and it is connected to a Predator
>screw-driver antenna on the back lefthand corner of the RV. The radio and
>antenna are, I believe, thoroughly grounded to a common point on the frame
>of the RV, since I had this work done by a professional RV tech who is also
>a ham. In the front of the RV, I have a TMV7A for mobile VHF/UHF use. That
>rig is connected to a Diamond dual-band mobile antenna that is securely
>clamped to the top of the ladder on the other side of the back of the RV.
>
>Anyway, yesterday, I was doing a test on the CW portion of the 20 meter
>band, when something incredibly strange happened. My TMV7A mobile rig was
>totally off, and not being used. ... When I did the HF test, some extra RF
>must have been floating around, because it turned on the TMV7A, and caused
>the TMV7A to make all kinds of beeps and boops. In a major state of panic
>or at least heightened concern, I checked out the TMV7A, and it was totally
>locked up. ... My memories were still there, but I couldn't do much if
>anything with the radio. I couldn't even do a re-set using the re-set
>sequence with the control head which is mounted below the dash board. ...
>It was funny too, because the speach output would give me the memory number
>I was on, but wouldn't even read the frequency.
>
>Fortunately, I had some instructions from this list which told me how to do
>a full re-set of the TMV7A using the recessed re-set button on the front of
>the actual radio unit. I did that, re-programmed the radio, and was back in
>business.
>
>Then, I went into troubleshooting mode, and found what I think was the
>source of the problem. I disconnected the power supply for the TMV7A from a
>power strip that I was using, and plugged it more directly into an outlet in
>the RV via a short extension cord. I tried getting on 20 meters again,
>where I was before, and had no RFI problem at all.
>
>So, I think my problem was in the cheap power strip I was using.
>
>Which brings up a question: Anyone know of a good high-quality power strip
>I might by that has better isolation in it, so this problem won't recur?
>I'm willing to pay some good money for it, since I don't want stray RF
>messing with either the TMV7A or any of the other electronics in the RV.
>
>I will have periodic e-mail access while we are on our trip, although my
>responses may be somewhat delayed since we will be on the road quite a bit.
>Fortunately, though, the camp grounds we will be staying at have internet
>access.
>
>73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ, soon to be RV mobile
>
>
>
>--
>No virus found in this incoming message.
>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.11/837 - Release Date: 6/6/2007
>2:03 PM
Louis Kim Kline
A.R.S. K2LKK
Home e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Work e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Work Telephone: (585) 697-5753
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