[Hi-zreceivingarraydiscussions] Grounds for 4 square

[pflorig at windstream.net]

Hi Lee and all,
Have done those tests here on the 4-8P and shows a lot as found one amp that was
down a little and was distorting the signal. The stronger the sig the more it distorts.
Changed to a new amp there and all seems fine now. Have not checked fully bad amp.
Questions:
-As you suggested to use WWV, I found Canada time at 3.330Mhz also. What will
the distance and time of day effect things. RE: ground or sky wave?
-My ant are set at 80ft per side and would 2.5Mhz be better? Realize it is just 
comparison sig strength. Have noticed long fades on sigs so have to wait for max sig time
for true comparison.
-Assume discussion here is antenna resistance. Is it worth doing a "ground" resistance
of each ground rod. If so what would the best method be?
-When testing full system, I have been using Smeter with attenuater on max sig
at less than S9 for better reading. Is there a better way? Way for actual Db readings?

Sorry if this too basic and/or long, but have been thinking/testing on this.
Too much of an engineer here. Hi.
Thanks for the great discussions here, have learned a lot. Now remember what I learned. Hi. 
73  Phil W9IXX

On Wednesday, December 14, 2016 2:34 AM, contact at hizantennas.com wrote: 
>    Hi-Z Group, 
>  With all due respect to the TDR,(I have a Tektronix one) there is another 
> way to test the verticals and amplifiers with the Hi-Z 4, 4-8P, and 8A 
> arrays. 
>   You simply remove one end of each of the delay lines. Tune in a strong 
> constant signal like WWV on 2.5 MHz. As you then turn the direction control 
> you will test a single antenna/amp for each direction. In the 8A you 
> actually test two. For the 4 and 4-8P arrays the direction control will 
> point toward the antenna that is active. As you rotate the direction control 
> each antenna/amp should produce exactly the same signal at the RX meter. 
> There can be a couple dB difference due to propagation affects. The station 
> tuned in should be at least 50 miles away. For the 8A array the two antennas 
> active with the delay lines disconnected on one end are the East and West 
> antennas when the direction control points North. As you rotate the 
> direction control to NE the SE and the NW antennas will be active. This 
> continues around the control with the perpendicular antennas active to the 
> direction selected. 
>    This test can point out shorted elements, bad cables,  and bad amplifiers 
> very easily without disconnecting and testing each element/amp. 
>  
> Lee K7TJR 
> Hi-Z Antennas 
>  
>  
> >> 
> Paul (K5ESW) and all, 
>  
> To do my impedance measurements on the verticals, I disconnected the 
> feedpoint amplifier and connected the antenna and ground leads directly to 
> the AIM-4170 input port.  At 1.8 MHz, the radiation resistance of a short 
> vertical is essentially zero, so all the resistance that is measured is 
> assumed to be ground resistance.  
>  
> I measured two of the verticals in my 8 circle and got very similar results. 
> At that point I didn't bother measuring the rest of the verticals because I 
> assumed the results would also be similar.  
>  
> W3LPL uses passive (non-amplified) receiving verticals.  In his 
> multi-transmitter operations, the extremely strong RF from the transmitters 
> would cause serious blockage or intermods in any active electronics at the 
> array when another receiver is trying to listen through them.   That's why 
> he uses the passive approach but it also means his verticals are very 
> narrowband because they have to be resonated (with inductance).  I'm not 
> sure what kind of combiner he is using and I don't know exactly how he is 
> doing his TDR measurements.  However, I am guessing he is checking for 
> feedline discontinuities or faults that would produce reflections back to 
> the TDR.  The TDR would help him pinpoint the location of the faults. 
>  
> With the Hi-Z system, which uses active electronics, I'm not sure what you 
> could learn about the verticals from a TDR in the shack. 
>  
> 73, John W1FV 
>  
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>  
>  
>  
>  
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