"Owen Duffy" wrote in message
...
"David" wrote in
:


The noise level does not change when I turn the beam 360 deg.

You did give S meter readings, but with respect, they are meaningless in
the context you have given. Radios are not iniversally well calibrated,
and most hams could not tell us what radio setting (eg PREAMP ON/OFF) put
the radio in the calibrated mode.

Remember that a directive antenna does not reduce noise that is non-
directional, for all that it reduces noise picked up off the main lobe,
it increases noise picked up on the main lobe.

Ok, we hear that the noise is not strongly directional. You didn't care
to share how you worked that out. If you had an extremely high noise
level, it would quite likely be local, that is the way of things. It it
appears to not be directional, it is probably very close (ie under the
antenna). It could be in your own home, it could be some kind of fault
with the installation.

If it is within your own home, resolution is somewhat simplified. To
clear away your own home as a source, turn EVERYTHING off and run a
receiver on battery. No prizes for missing something, turn things off at
the main switchboard.

Does the noise vary by hour, day? Is it the same level when all the TVs
and Inverter Air Conditioners should be off.

If the noise is excessive, and it is real local, you have the choice of
dealing with the source, and/or reducing your pickup (eg minimising the
effects of feedline common mode current... good coax, effective
connectors, an effecive balun, system grounding).

Owen


If I can here a weak station on any of my other antennas that is fully
readable but weak and I then switch over to the beam the station gets lost
in the noise.
On stations that are a bit stronger but under a S9 after switching to the
beam then there is a noticeable amount of noise in with there audio. Of
course the beam brings the whole signal in a lot stronger as it should do
with but with this large increase of hiss/background noise that is some how
mixed in with there audio that wasn't there before.

I do not get the same noise on any of my other antennas even when they are
positioned in the same spot as the beam and connected to the same coax line.
I have tried the Cushcraft R4 and the R5 the Cobwebb and several mobile
whips and I do not pick the same noise up..

I have had the MA5B down and I cannot see any thing wrong with the
installation.

I have ordered some Ferrite and I will make a coke balun up and see if it
improves.

I will let you know what happens.