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Proximity to QRO HF antenna?

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k1zk
Proximity to QRO HF antenna?
New to AREDN & thinking of putting an AREDN antenna at the top of my 50-foot tower.  I have an HF beam there that's plugged into my 1.5 kW amp.  Any experience on how AREDN gear tolerates proximity to QRO HF signals?   Running a Mikrotik BaseBox2.

73 from Vermont de K1ZK
w6bi
w6bi's picture
QRO HF & AREDN
I had a friend with a Nanostation in proximity to his high power HF station antenna and he was unable the keep the two peacefully coexisting.  YMMV obviously.  I suggest:
  • At least single-shielded Ethernet cable.  Double-shielded if you can swing it.
  • Make sure to use shielded Ethernet connectors on both ends of cables.
  • Lots of clamp-on ferrite cores at both ends of the Ethernet cable(s).     Also on coax to HF beam.
  • You didn't mention how you were going to link the AREDN node into your shack.  Most folks use an Mikrotik hAP to nicely integrate the AREDN network with their home network.  If you do so, apply some clamp-on cores to the wall wart's cable.
  • Follow good grounding practices, of course.
Hope this helps!

Orv W6BI
K7EOK
Orv, I was waiting for
Orv, I was waiting for someone to reply to this question.  Can you share more specific information from your friend's experience?  What exactly was "not peacefully coexisting"?  Did the HF transmissions cause noise on the ethernet cables, did the microwave transmissions cause noise or issues on the HF?  What was observed and did the friend resolve the issue with mitigation steps like you describe?

I'm about to put AREDN on the same rooftop as a HF station for a county EOC and this is very relevant.

Ed
 
w6bi
w6bi's picture
Interference
In this particular case, when running his HF amp, his old Nanostation would stop.  It's been a while but I believe it reset the node back to 'just installed' status. He finally just stopped using AREDN, as he was moving soon anyway.  He's since left the area.

Orv
 

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