anyone having problems with radios and strobes

n1pj · Post by **n1pj** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:20 am

I have the yaesu FT 100D in my blazer. Everytime I key up my 100D on HF the strobes in my blazer flash dimly. When I am tuning the atas 100 antenna system the strobes flash bright and do all sorts of patterns. People look at me weird when I use the hf radio. Last night I was trying to work DX and noticed that my strobes were firing really dimly whenever I keyed up. I started to tune a different band using the atas 100 antenna tunning process, when the signal is unmatched and dirty the strobes create one heck of a bright lightshow, the brightness goes down when the swr starts to match. Does anyone else have this problem or know how to solve the problem. It is probably due to the amount of wattage I am putting out. Typically I am putting out 90 - 100 watts HF. My radio tunes at 5 watts and measures the swr of the antenna, it automatically stops when the proper swr is reached (usually).

Thanks

PJ

apco25 · Post by **apco25** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:48 am

Sounds like an RFI problem to me. Check grounds and make sure your strobes cables are properly shielded and terminated. What brand of power supply?

n1pj · Post by **n1pj** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 11:03 am

The strobe supply is a 90 watt nova Random Pattern Mapping power supply. Model number RPM6-90

I don't know if the system is grounded well. All I did was plug the strobe heads into the power supply. Was I supposed to do something with the little metal braids that come out of the strobe control wires. The directions said to leave them alone. Thanks

PJ

joe1234 · Post by **joe1234** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 12:06 pm

It is more likely the grounds on the strobe cables....... or is the radio and strobe pack real close to each other..... move them apart if the grounds dont fix it...... I just had a game warden in here and the 100w spectra was interfering with his strobes I had to move the antenna and that fix it.... but it could be a number of things when useing such high powered radios.....

KitN1MCC · Post by **KitN1MCC** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 1:53 pm

that your problem right there using nova stuff.

nmfire10 · Post by **nmfire10** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 2:09 pm

Is the power supply screwed down or just sitting there?

You should ground the shield of the strobe cables at the power supply end of the cables. Do not ground both ends!

How is the power supply getting power?

Where are the strobe & power wires compared to the antenna coax?

chartofmaryland · Post by **chartofmaryland** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:20 pm

Nova along with federal signal doesn't always sell their strobe cables with the ground runner like whelen or tomar.
Has anyone else ever taken a floresent lightbulb and stuck it up next to a 100 watt operation. I have and it fired the tube. Same theory on the strobe tubes from what i have read so far. Neon can operate at certain wavelenghts. Ground them and see what happens. The power supply will like it too as it can help radiate some heat off ot it if you run them for any period of time. Mount the raw surface base to straight steel if possible, cut through the carpet and run them screws.

A new guy to the shop who is also a ham read this and asked what a ferrite bead would do on the strobe cable. I didn't know what to tell him so maybe you guys can for me.

CHART

And the new guy

fire-medic8104 · Post by **fire-medic8104** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:41 am

I had dual whelen 4 outlets that had the same problem. Switched to a gall's eight outlet and didn't have the problem.

During a pm check 2 mos later, discovered a frayed coax that was leaking RF. Changed coax and for grins switched back to the whelens and the problem disappeared.

This was with a 110watt astro less than 10" from the power supply.

ExKa|iBuR · Post by **ExKa|iBuR** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 2:00 am

I don't know much about strobe electronics, but...

Ground everything. If it's got metal - ground it. Radio, Strobe Supply, strobe cables, radio, coax sheild, etc...

Your problem is obviously RF getting into the system somewhere, so if you do everything you can to make a "closed system", then the problem should go away, which is probably easier said than done, but definatly worth the end-result.

On my old car, every time I keyed up, the fuel pump would stop pumping, and the car would sputter. It would also make the in-car computer (displays things like fuel economy, trip distances, etc...) would go all wonky.

Well, I did exactly what I described above and the problem went away, with a nice side bonus of having the radio work lightyears better because of the good grounds. While you're getting your hands dirty, it wouldn't be a bad idea to install some heavy duty copper flashing (the 1/2" flat braid stuff) between the frame and all moving parts - ie, the trunk, each door and the hood. That can go a long way for RF sheidling and better radio performance. All the police version cars come with it done at the factory - if they do it...it must be for a reason

-Mike

n1pj · Post by **n1pj** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 6:47 am

I will have to try those solutions tonight, all good ideas. My strobe cables are kind of far apart from my hf coax cable. I tried to put a couple screws throught the carpet to mount the strobe supply but I think they have since pulled out of the metal since the strobe box is not attached very well anymore. I will also ground the metal braided leads on the strobe cables at the power supply end. Thanks for the suggestions

PJ

KitN1MCC · Post by **KitN1MCC** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 2:42 pm

Does any one know were Jim from Pittspurgh bine i kinda of figured he would speak up on this one

c17loadsmasher · Post by **c17loadsmasher** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 3:37 pm

Sounds like the PS may not be shielded properly...

Post by Pj » Wed Jul 14, 2004 4:07 pm

For the most part, even the cheap power supplies that have been produced for the past few years are pretty well shielded. There are only a few actual power supply companies out there. Most of the Galls p/s's are Whelen or Tomar (I think) as well as the other catalog company's relabled products.

Usually as stated well above by now, its a grounding issue or bad radio cable.

It use to be really fun to listen a few years ago on the the Med channels from the East Hartford units that were still using the really old double flash power supplies. As they were giving the reports to the hospitals, you can hear the bwww bawwwwwwww noise of the flashes.

As a side note, if you ever watch Chuck Norris's Lone Wolf McQuade, they acutally use the Whelen double flash sound that you hear from the old power supply as a siren!

afterimage84 · Post by **afterimage84** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:25 pm

i had same problem with the exact same supply. i have no clue what that antenna ur talking about is but i was on vhif centered at 155 and it would make the tailight strobes go. was funny as i had no clue...just some one asking me on the air why they were going on and off as i was rolling dark and it kinda ruined the effect witht he rear strobes commin on and off.

i guess they grounded everything in sight and they also switched around some of the antennas. the vhf hi is on the roof now.

motor59 · Post by **motor59** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 6:31 am

KitN1MCC wrote:Does any one know were Jim from Pittspurgh bine i kinda of figured he would speak up on this one

I think Jim has given up on the Vehicle Installs forum.

Jim wrote:Since YOU (almighty God) don't want me here because I dont' post pretty little picutures and actually provide good information, I'll leave with that. If anyone needs me, email me.

shammond · Post by **shammond** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:24 am

The FT100D is notorious for grounding problems. As stated previously, ground everything and then make sure it is all tied together.

The ATAS antenna also contributes to this.

I used to get some feedback thru the car speakers when I had my Suburban with that combo installed. Regrounded and bonded everything and the problem went away. Also made the unit work and tune better.

Steve

anyone having problems with radios and strobes

anyone having problems with radios and strobes

twatt