Handheld radio technical question (squelch)

TangoWhiskey

TangoWhiskey

Touchdown! Greaser!
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3Green
I have a Yaesu Aviator Pro II. Love the thing. BUT... in certain circumstances, it breaks squelch too easily, even if I manually turn the squelch up to a higher threshold.

An example is when I bring it indoors and try to listen in my home office... with the computers and fans and such going, it breaks squelch. I have it set to "2" on its scale, which usually works fine in the car, but even there, I sometimes have to make the antenna make contact with my body (lay it on the seat so the rubber duck antenna touches my leg, for example, or wrap my hand around the antenna).

If I maintain physical contact with the antenna in this manner--it works BEAUTIFULLY. I hear all the transmissions with no broken squelch static in between.

Is there anything I can do / add to the radio or its antenna to "simulate" my physical contact?
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I have a Yaesu Aviator Pro II. Love the thing. BUT... in certain circumstances, it breaks squelch too easily, even if I manually turn the squelch up to a higher threshold.

An example is when I bring it indoors and try to listen in my home office... with the computers and fans and such going, it breaks squelch. I have it set to "2" on its scale, which usually works fine in the car, but even there, I sometimes have to make the antenna make contact with my body (lay it on the seat so the rubber duck antenna touches my leg, for example, or wrap my hand around the antenna).

If I maintain physical contact with the antenna in this manner--it works BEAUTIFULLY. I hear all the transmissions with no broken squelch static in between.

Is there anything I can do / add to the radio or its antenna to "simulate" my physical contact?
Click to expand...

Potato in water. No, I'm not kidding.

It also works amazing for a VHF antenna for TV.
 
Get an external antenna.
Rubber Duckie antennas are lousey receptors.
Your body acts as an attenuator to the RF broadcast by the computer and accessories.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I have a Yaesu Aviator Pro II. Love the thing. BUT... in certain circumstances, it breaks squelch too easily, even if I manually turn the squelch up to a higher threshold.

An example is when I bring it indoors and try to listen in my home office... with the computers and fans and such going, it breaks squelch. I have it set to "2" on its scale, which usually works fine in the car, but even there, I sometimes have to make the antenna make contact with my body (lay it on the seat so the rubber duck antenna touches my leg, for example, or wrap my hand around the antenna).

If I maintain physical contact with the antenna in this manner--it works BEAUTIFULLY. I hear all the transmissions with no broken squelch static in between.

Is there anything I can do / add to the radio or its antenna to "simulate" my physical contact?
Click to expand...

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-TV-Antenna-with-a-Potato
or
http://www.ehow.com/how_2315324_make-tv-antenna-potato.html

Will work for any VHF requirement. Enjoy, and spread the potato wealth!
 
Last edited:
john smith said:
Get an external antenna.
Rubber Duckie antennas are lousey receptors.
Your body acts as an attenuator to the RF broadcast by the computer and accessories.
Click to expand...

The Yeasu I have works pretty well on the ducky but when I connect it to an external antenna in the airplane it breaks squelch on the highest setting. I believe the front end is being overloaded by FM and/or TV transmissions in the area. I noticed this a while after I purchased the radio and contacted their support. I was told that "they all do that". I tried to return the radio but the dealer wouldn't accept it so I've still got it and carry it in the airplane as an emergency backup. It will work for that but I'd have to live with the open squelch if I needed to use it. I does work well as a portable radio although adjusting the squelch is a PITA since you have to go about 3 levels into the menu structure to ge at it. BTW, my KX-99 has no such problem connected to an external antenna in the air.
 
Why does a relatively compact potatoe work so well compared to rabit ears which are long and thin?
 
Dave Krall CFII said:
Why does a relatively compact potatoe work so well compared to rabit ears which are long and thin?
Click to expand...

It really shouldn't but due to local reflections and refractions, it's likely that there are several standing waves in the room and I think it's hard to predict what would work best for an antenna when choosing between rabbit ears (a pretty lousy design to begin with) and a potato. BTW with only the center conductor of the "antenna cable" i.e. coaxial cable "attached" to the potato, the lead itself is as much or more the "antenna" as the potato.
 
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