Antenna Selector

[Alabama Buckeye]

Antenna Selector Switch a major upgrade from the common far lesser quality tin foil housed selector disk sort. Not a name dropper I am but mighty fine junk comes to mind. Sad I am, wasted hard earned blood money on two of those cheap 5h1t sorts moving onto two cast housing dual selector sort, painted sky blue, with no backside access. Which also turned out to be shite.

Have a 1st of these upgraded types in operation as an antenna selector and now a second for radio selector. This second, pictured, was the more expensive (+ $30) model on the Amazon market, several months ago. It has face markings on it where my 1st did not. I remember is as the $30 more expensive model and is now $2 less than the model with no face paint.

Just like the 1st, this 2nd was in need of pre-install inspection and function tweaking; to insure positive internal contacts. Just like the 1st, this 2nd had 1 of 3 pair of contacts screaming for attention.

The price is not cheap but the assurance of connectivity is worth it for me. And you can't say it's housed in tin foil.

 

[unit_399]

The only accessory I use between my transmitter and antenna is a SWR/Wattmeter, because monitoring my rig's output is a must. Every connection in the Coax line is a problem waiting to happen. Even if your connections are 100%, each switch, relay contact, etc. introduces losses and degrades your signal. There is no such thing as a no loss switch.
After spending the time (and/or money) to tune your rig to the max, why add inline accessories that steal some of your hard earned output ??

- 399

 

[Recon]

The only accessory I use between my transmitter and antenna is a SWR/Wattmeter, because monitoring my rig's output is a must. Every connection in the Coax line is a problem waiting to happen. Even if your connections are 100%, each switch, relay contact, etc. introduces losses and degrades your signal. There is no such thing as a no loss switch.
After spending the time (and/or money) to tune your rig to the max, why add inline accessories that steal some of your hard earned output ??

- 399

I am assuming that ninety-degree coax connectors and "barrels" fall into the same category as an accessory, and I stay away from those.

 

[Alabama Buckeye]

Can't and won't argue, el Capo. Agreed! The loss I find minimal, were I able to measure it down to a knat's abdomen. Craps switches, aforementioned mighty fine junk, are an exception I can't afford. I can see their impact in the SWR. I've seen no such, apparent, degradation in these flavored switches. Wouldn't highlight them otherwise.

And I use choke Baluns which I find no SWR reflections of.

 

[Alabama Buckeye]

I am assuming that ninety-degree coax connectors and "barrels" fall into the same category as an accessory, and I stay away from those.

Now these "accessories" I avoid. Occasionally I have to introduce a barrel connector; and, I ohms check them all to find the one with the least resistance reading; it's likely corrosion build up. The 90s, I avoid these like the (moderator edit) plague.

 

[unit_399]

No criticism intended. I realize that the losses are minimal, but the possible signal degradation is what really concerns me.

- 399

 

[Recon]

No criticism intended. I realize that the losses are minimal, but the possible signal degradation is what really concerns me.

- 399

How about those BNC (?) quick-disconnect fittings?

 

[Low_Boy]

That looks like a good switch. I have had good luck with Alpha Delta.

 

[Alabama Buckeye]

That looks like a good switch. I have had good luck with Alpha Delta.

DX Engineering Delta-2B price was the original price for the NoName 3 Pos (NN3P) unit I posted above; B4 they cut it by almost 1/2. And here I said NN3P switches weren't cheap. I'd expect them Delta-2B and 4B to be making power, with signal enhancement . Are their inner workings accessible? What sort of switching mechanism?

 

[Low_Boy]

DX Engineering Delta-2B price was the original price for the NoName 3 Pos (NN3P) unit I posted above; B4 they cut it by almost 1/2. And here I said NN3P switches weren't cheap. I'd expect them Delta-2B and 4B to be making power, with signal enhancement . Are their inner workings accessible? What sort of switching mechanism?

I have never had the one I have apart. I know they sell extra short protection slugs Incase there is a lightning strike. Very solid switch.

 

[Alabama Buckeye]

I have never had the one I have apart. I know they sell extra short protection slugs Incase there is a lightning strike. Very solid switch.

Specs on it are most attractive. Grounding antennas when not in use, big plus+
Surge protection, another big plus++

Interesting question about lightning strikes...are they positive or negatively charged? Severe storms, as in the Most Severe, are associated with positive stroke lightning. To clarify, I'm speaking of positive strikes to the ground; where the negative leaders originate.
So you've got a well grounded station, including your 300' tower, are you setting yourself up?

That's 55 Belair?

https://hamguyparts.com/files/Download/PL259_seal.pdf

 

[Low_Boy]

That I can not answer but understand what you are saying.

 

[Alabama Buckeye]

Normal negative charged lightning strikes are linked with a ground originating positive leaders.

Knowing this, I'm not concerned about operating my radios during typical thunderstorm events. On the otherhand, knowing a thunderstorm event may include severe storms I shut it all down.
Typical lightning strike is about 300 million Volts and about 30,000 Amps. Reason enough to take precautions.

FAR, false alarm rate is of absolutely no concern with the head cheese in charge of severe thunderstorm warnings. Inanutshell, better to be wrong 99% of the time than explain that missed 1%. CYA at its finest!

Sadly there's little concern about reducing that 99%; aside from technological advancement in radar.