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Post by jimhenry2000 on Feb 19, 2017 6:44:24 GMT
About a week or so ago someone here posted for me an image of an outdoor enclosure used by/for the Talking House transmitter. I've been poking around but have been unsuccessful in finding it again. I am looking for a weatherproof outdoor enclosure for my SSTRAN AMT-5000. I do have several enclosures from my days as a WISP, but they are steel and heavier than I would prefer since I may be using my 25 foot telescoping fiberglass mast to mount the 5000 on. I've been looking at several possibilities via Amazon, but a recommendation from someone actually using an enclosure for their AMT-5000 would mean a lot. Considering the requirements of Part 15 I would think their would be many folks here using an outdoor enclosure for their 5000.
Thanks.
Jim
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Post by bluebucketradio on Feb 19, 2017 9:34:37 GMT
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Post by End80 on Feb 19, 2017 14:17:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2017 14:53:55 GMT
Outdoor BoxesFor awhile the SSTran website, home of AMT5000, had a recommended outdoor box, but it seems to have been dropped from the site. Another interesting choice was shown by the engineer Paul Thurst on his ... he installed an outdoor tuning unit in a truck toolbox, of the kind you see on the back of pickup trucks.
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Post by End80 on Feb 19, 2017 15:00:13 GMT
Incidentally, probably needless to say, as I'm sure you have already seen or someone has mentioned; the SStran website website addressees the 5000 outdoor installs: OutdoorsYou can maximize your range, and make it independent of your building and power-line radiation effects, by installing the transmitter outdoors, well clear of surrounding obstacles. Use a 102" stainless-steel CB whip antenna or a copper or aluminum pipe 118" long. A standard 8 ft. long copper-clad electrical ground rod should be driven into the ground at the base of the antenna for lightning protection. Four or more 15 ft. (or longer) radial wires fanning out from the ground rod connection on or buried slightly below ground will greatly improve your range. With such an installation, expect 3/4 to 1 mile range for a fairly strong signal on a car radio. A listenable signal can often be heard in some directions at 2+ miles. High building density and a high local ambient electrical noise level will reduce the range. The AMT5000 has a jumper option for completely bypassing all internal RF output tuning inductors, including the toroid, for those who would like to experiment with an antenna using a large external air-core loading coil. Such an antenna will require a tapped air core coil and a method for adjusting the antenna length for fine tuning. VIEW ANTENNA CONSTRUCTION PLANS
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Feb 20, 2017 2:39:43 GMT
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Feb 21, 2017 3:52:20 GMT
Well a friend of mine who was one of the vendors I dealt with before I just retired is sending me a few free samples of various weatherproof enclosures so I expect at least one of them should do just fine.
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Post by bluebucketradio on Feb 21, 2017 13:45:38 GMT
That is great news Jim, let us know how it turns out.
Barry of 1620 BBR
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Feb 22, 2017 3:13:36 GMT
I expect to receive those enclosures in about 2 weeks. In the meantime I have a 102" whip. Now I need to figure out how to attach it to the transmitter. So far the few changes I have made, extending the ground cable, and then extending the antenna cable by adding more wire to it, and later connecting it to a large stainless steel shelving unit, have only REDUCED the range from just hanging the white antenna wire and black ground wire through the room. So now that I have a 102" whip, it has a screw threaded base which looks like I MIGHT be able to screw a PL-259 connector to it, but if I did that both center conductor and ground shield would connect to the antenna which I assume will not be good. That is great news Jim, let us know how it turns out. Barry of 1620 BBR
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Post by bluebucketradio on Feb 22, 2017 6:25:02 GMT
"So now that I have a 102" whip, it has a screw threaded base which looks like I MIGHT be able to screw a PL-259 connector to it, but if I did that both center conductor and ground shield would connect to the antenna which I assume will not be good." You are correct, it would create a dead short however since the 102" whip is made to screw into a antenna mount, you could purchase a mirror mount for cb/ham antenna's, use the bolts already supplied with the mount and attach it to a 2x4 that has been driven into the ground. The enclosure would go on one side of the 2x4 while the whip antenna is mounted to the opposite side. Perhaps installing an SO-239 to the SSTRAN, run the ground to one of the screws and the hot of course would be mounted in the center conductor of the SO-239. A short piece of coax with pl-259's on each end would complete the connection between the transmitter and the antenna. Use the internal tuning of the SSTRAN to match the antenna to the transmitter. Also a short piece of wire from the antenna mount to a ground system would complete the project. SO 239 PL-259 CB antenna mirror mount
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Feb 23, 2017 2:55:38 GMT
Thanks again. "So now that I have a 102" whip, it has a screw threaded base which looks like I MIGHT be able to screw a PL-259 connector to it, but if I did that both center conductor and ground shield would connect to the antenna which I assume will not be good." You are correct, it would create a dead short however since the 102" whip is made to screw into a antenna mount, you could purchase a mirror mount for cb/ham antenna's, use the bolts already supplied with the mount and attach it to a 2x4 that has been driven into the ground. The enclosure would go on one side of the 2x4 while the whip antenna is mounted to the opposite side. Perhaps installing an SO-239 to the SSTRAN, run the ground to one of the screws and the hot of course would be mounted in the center conductor of the SO-239. A short piece of coax with pl-259's on each end would complete the connection between the transmitter and the antenna. Use the internal tuning of the SSTRAN to match the antenna to the transmitter. Also a short piece of wire from the antenna mount to a ground system would complete the project. SO 239 PL-259 CB antenna mirror mount
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Feb 26, 2017 19:28:35 GMT
End80, thanks for this. Does anyone know what internal settings, if any, should be changed on the 5000 if one just wishes to use a 102" whip? Just connecting the antenna wire to the 102" whip seems to drastically reduce range. Jim Incidentally, probably needless to say, as I'm sure you have already seen or someone has mentioned; the SStran website website addressees the 5000 outdoor installs: OutdoorsYou can maximize your range, and make it independent of your building and power-line radiation effects, by installing the transmitter outdoors, well clear of surrounding obstacles. Use a 102" stainless-steel CB whip antenna or a copper or aluminum pipe 118" long. A standard 8 ft. long copper-clad electrical ground rod should be driven into the ground at the base of the antenna for lightning protection. Four or more 15 ft. (or longer) radial wires fanning out from the ground rod connection on or buried slightly below ground will greatly improve your range. With such an installation, expect 3/4 to 1 mile range for a fairly strong signal on a car radio. A listenable signal can often be heard in some directions at 2+ miles. High building density and a high local ambient electrical noise level will reduce the range. The AMT5000 has a jumper option for completely bypassing all internal RF output tuning inductors, including the toroid, for those who would like to experiment with an antenna using a large external air-core loading coil. Such an antenna will require a tapped air core coil and a method for adjusting the antenna length for fine tuning. VIEW ANTENNA CONSTRUCTION PLANS
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Post by End80 on Feb 26, 2017 20:14:47 GMT
Maybe you just have to retune it.. Phil (the manufacturer) said this about the 5000 at part15.us..
"..simply adjust the coil tap jumper and trimmer for maximum input current, then adjust the trimmer 1 full turn clockwise, and then adjust the "PWR IN ADJUST" control for 100mW input power. This simple trimmer "trick" works very well over the 1350kHz - 1700kHz frequency range of the toroid coil and an antenna ground loss resistance range of 10ohms - 75ohms.
Notice particularly that the "Power In" is maximum when tuned for max power in (first picture), but the efficiency is only 78%. When tuned to maximum efficiency, the Power In drops, but that drop is compensated for by the final tuning step where you set the power in back to 100mW. The radiated signal power is maximum at the highest efficiency tuning point and 100mW input power. All other tunings with legal Power In will result in lower radiated signal power." www.part15.us/forum/part15-forums/sstran-amt5000-class-e-tuning-waveform-pictures
Special note that he said if you tune it any other way then described then it "will result in lower radiated signal power." -Which is exactly what it sounds like is happening to you when you connect the whip.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Feb 26, 2017 20:18:48 GMT
TY again!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2017 21:35:23 GMT
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