As you are probably aware I have been having serious problems with my radio hookup. Unable to hold some repeaters, frequent power dropouts, etc. It was depressing and I thought I had some expensive repair work ahead.
Phil Bulllock, K7PB and KE7OMG dropped by for a quick look. The antenna is currently mounted on a fence, not on the roof, so it was easy to work on.
First the power problem. The Anderson Power Poles on this radio were the very first two I EVER installed. No crimping tools, so the connectors were soldered on. Too much solder meant that the pin would not go all the way in and "latch down". Used it anyway.
Anything that jiggled the power cord, like my microphone cord could cause an instant OPEN circuit. Easy fix, replaced the Anderson using the proper custom crimping tool - power problem solved.
Now on to the fascinating radio repair. Inside each PL259/SO239 mating pair there are two small pins or cogs and on the mating connector there are two or more small indents to receive the cogs.
Apparently the antenna connections were made without regard to "meshing" those little points. As a result the wind, over the YEARS, had actually unscrewed the connectors to some extent. When the wind blew, there would be power dropouts. The cables were loose on both ends - antenna and house.
Once the connectors were properly fitted and snug, the dropouts went away.
Moral of the Story - check your outside connections from time to time. The wind and weather can literally disconnect you.
Now my received audio is about 200% better and I am getting great signal reports again! Who knew it could be something so simple?
N7OZH
