---------------------------------------------------------- AeroElectric-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Sat 08/29/09: 5 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 07:34 AM - Groundblock Tube/Fabric Airplane (special4) 2. 10:04 AM - Re: Groundblock Tube/Fabric Airplane (Robert L. Nuckolls, III) 3. 10:33 AM - Re: Groundblock Tube/Fabric Airplane (special4) 4. 11:52 AM - Re: Groundblock Tube/Fabric Airplane () 5. 03:04 PM - Re: Re: Groundblock Tube/Fabric Airplane (Robert L. Nuckolls, III) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 07:34:06 AM PST US Subject: AeroElectric-List: Groundblock Tube/Fabric Airplane From: "special4" I have problems with static noise/interference (Icom IC A5 Radio) on my Challenger I Ultralight. Battery is in the nose (ground to the aluminum frame tube), antenna on left wing (strut mount) and engine (2-stroke Rotax 447, sparkplug wires shielded and resistor spark plug caps) is behind the wing (pusher) What is the best place to install a groundblock ...? Is aluminum tubing/frame a good ground...?? Thanks Peter -------- Sportsflyer Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=260362#260362 ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 10:04:52 AM PST US From: "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Groundblock Tube/Fabric Airplane At 09:31 AM 8/29/2009, you wrote: > >I have problems with static noise/interference (Icom IC A5 Radio) on >my Challenger I Ultralight. Battery is in the nose (ground to the >aluminum frame tube), antenna on left wing (strut mount) and engine >(2-stroke Rotax 447, sparkplug wires shielded and resistor spark >plug caps) is behind the wing (pusher) What is the best place to >install a groundblock ...? Is aluminum tubing/frame a good ground...?? The groundblock is what "becomes a good ground" irrespective of where mounted and on what kind of airplane. Are you certain that your noises originate from poor ground architecture? The A5 is a hand held. Are you using internal batteries or external power cord? What is the nature of your "static". Are you certain that it's ignition noise? Is the noise so strong that it prevents you from hearing the transmission of others . . . or can you tighten the squelch control to shut off the noise and still hear others when they talk? Bob . . . --------------------------------------- ( . . . a long habit of not thinking ) ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial ) ( appearance of being right . . . ) ( ) ( -Thomas Paine 1776- ) --------------------------------------- ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 10:33:34 AM PST US Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Groundblock Tube/Fabric Airplane From: "special4" I can hear loud and clear over 70 miles distance, but when I transmit there is a lot of noise.... (unicom and other airplanes report a lot of static and background noise) The radio is connected to the "ships" power, and I did try it with the internal batteries only, but with the same results. Could it be a ground loop...as I do not have connected all the wires to "one" ground....??? Thanks Peter -------- Sportsflyer Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=260378#260378 ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 11:52:54 AM PST US From: Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Groundblock Tube/Fabric Airplane Since it is a handheld could you conduct a few tests such as using it without the aircraft on or completely outside the aircraft? Find a frequency unused in your area and you and a friend try a few transmissions with the engine off and maybe even outside the plane with the portable antenna. If the noise goes away you know it is coming from the installation if it is still there it is in the radio itself. Then try with it attached to the ships antenna but the ship off etc, Introduce one element at a time until the static comes in and then deal with the cause. Rodney ---- "Robert L. Nuckolls wrote: > > At 09:31 AM 8/29/2009, you wrote: > > > >I have problems with static noise/interference (Icom IC A5 Radio) on > >my Challenger I Ultralight. Battery is in the nose (ground to the > >aluminum frame tube), antenna on left wing (strut mount) and engine > >(2-stroke Rotax 447, sparkplug wires shielded and resistor spark > >plug caps) is behind the wing (pusher) What is the best place to > >install a groundblock ...? Is aluminum tubing/frame a good ground...?? > > The groundblock is what "becomes a good ground" irrespective > of where mounted and on what kind of airplane. Are you > certain that your noises originate from poor ground > architecture? > > The A5 is a hand held. Are you using internal batteries > or external power cord? What is the nature of your "static". > Are you certain that it's ignition noise? Is the noise so > strong that it prevents you from hearing the transmission of > others . . . or can you tighten the squelch control to shut > off the noise and still hear others when they talk? > > > Bob . . . > > --------------------------------------- > ( . . . a long habit of not thinking ) > ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial ) > ( appearance of being right . . . ) > ( ) > ( -Thomas Paine 1776- ) > --------------------------------------- > > > > > > ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 03:04:19 PM PST US From: "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Re: Groundblock Tube/Fabric Airplane At 12:31 PM 8/29/2009, you wrote: > >I can hear loud and clear over 70 miles distance, but when I >transmit there is a lot of noise.... (unicom and other airplanes >report a lot of static and background noise) The radio is connected >to the "ships" power, and I did try it with the internal batteries >only, but with the same results. Could it be a ground loop...as I do >not have connected all the wires to "one" ground....??? As Rodney has suggested, you need to isolate the potential ingress of noise upon your signal. Your intial posting didn't mention a difference between hearing and talking, now we know that the problem manifests only while you're talking and the noise is not coming in through the power leads. Now we have to deduce what other folks are referring to as "static and background noise". It's and interesting and sometimes frustrating task to acquire accurate mental images of the meanings for other people's words. Back in my active ham radio days, we learned early on what the various common noise sources sounded like and could accurately differentiate wind noise, background sounds, generator or regulator hash, ignition noise, blower motor brush noise and alternator whine . . . none of which were referred to as "static". Static is that stuff that you hear when lightning strikes somewhere and is almost NEVER a part of anyone's actual transmitted signal. Okay, what microphone are you using when the noise complaint is raised? Built in microphones on hand- helds are one step above the mic that came with my two-year old grandson's Karaoke by Mattel. They never have effective noise cancelling nor tightly controlled pressure sensitivity patterns. So an aircraft headset with a good noise cancelling microphone is called for . . . PARTICULARLY if you like to fly with the "air conditioning" on . . . If you've already got a head-set, is it one that has been successfully used in an environment such as your cockpit? I got a really cool ride in a Trike . . . http://aeroelectric.com/Pictures/Misc/Trike_Ride_1.jpg Thanks Rich! By the way, this is the platform from which I acquired the website cover shot of K1K1, the airport Dr. Dee and I owned for a time. http://aeroelectric.com/23a.jpg Unfortunately, the LEAST expensive airplanes demand the very best in microphone performance for pleasant and understandable conversation. Bob . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message aeroelectric-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/AeroElectric-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/aeroelectric-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/aeroelectric-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.