Maestro Sensitivty to RF

James Charlton

My Maestro seems to have developed a sensitivity to RF.  I seldom use the Maestro so, I'm not sure when the problem started.  But it happens 100% of the time and on any band. 
I use a Maestro with a 6600M both running V3.0.27 software and an amp resulting in a final output of 1KW into a dipole about 30' up in trees in the backyard.  The radio and Maestro are in the basement well away from the antennas.
By itself, the 6600M has no problems.  But, with the Maestro connected any time either unit transmits both lock up in the transmit mode for about 15 seconds.  After that, the Maestro appears to reboot itself and eventually comes back on-line and apparently releasing the radio.
The Maestro exhibits the problem even when wifi connected, running on battery, with no external connections going to it al all. 

If I take the Maestro well away from the house and run it off a hotspot from my phone and on an internal battery it works normally.  I did not have this problem when I first received the Maestro.

So, my question is has something happened to the Maestro (i.e. internal shielding or filtering come loose) or have I **** up some setting - I still haven't totally mastered this Multiflex feature - or something else entirely?  And, how can I fix it?
Regards,
Jim Charlton AD0AB

Mike-VA3MW

Hi Jim

With RF issues, any wire is an antenna and may require RF choking.  This can be the LAN cable or the AC Power cables to the Maestro.  Even the audio cables to Speakers and Mics.  You may require choking on them.

I would unplug everything you can from the Maestro and then see if it fails.  Next, start adding cables and see if it comes back.

Are you using the AC Power supply that came with the Maestro?  

More details on your actual setup will help diagnose the issue.

73, Mike

Bill -VA3WTB

Also, go around a make sure all the coax connections are tight, any lose connector allows a lot of stray RF. From radios to antenna...

AH0U

Does it happen when running high power and not low power??? Does it happen when using a dummy load??? Do you have any filtering on the cables to the units??? Need more info but I’d say you have RF getting into one or both of the ynits

mikeatthebeach .

Are you using the Plug in power Supply with the Maestro If you using it, try running without it Had to loop the DC cable from the Wall Wart Supply Thru a Donut Ferrite Core 12Turns on a type 31 core Get a FT-240-31 Ferrite Core and that seems to keep RF both In and Out of the Maestro when using their Supplied Wall Wart Power Supply 73 Mike

Ted VE3TRQ

From Jim’s original post: “The Maestro exhibits the problem even when wifi connected, running on battery, with no external connections going to it al all. “ That implies no choking of anything on the Maestro will help, although it still leave open the matter of leaking RF :-( Or something normally shielded in the Maestro that no longer is.

Bill -VA3WTB

Unless as Mike said, a mic, speaker,  anything connected at all can be an antenna.

AH0U

Bug he may be getting RF into the WiFi network connection

mikeatthebeach .

Yes , rf can get into Internet lan or wan side Those FT-240-31 Cores work like magic to Keep RF out

mikeatthebeach .

James Charlton

Bill -VA3WTB

That looks to be a connection problem, if connection is lost the system goes down.
Still an RF problem but on the radio not the meastro as it is the radio transmitting. Continue looking for the RF the same way you did with the Meastro. check all wires and connections to the radio.

James Charlton

James Charlton

Hi Mike,
I can cause the problem by keying the 6600m even with no wires at all connected to the Maestro - it is running on wifi and battery.  

I have found one common denominator that is present in all my various tests and that is the router.  The 6600m is always hard wired to the router.  

I just ordered the ferrites recommended by another posting here and will put them on all the various wires.  In the meantime, I've put various snap on ferrites of unknown mix on most cables with limited effect.  I've also put a common mode choke on the coax coming into the house.  No effect.

As I posted earlier, the only new info I have is the error message that appeared on the Maestro screen when I hard wired it to the router.

Thanks for your help.  I am looking forward to getting this resolved.
Regards,
Jim Charlton  AD0AB  

bahillen

Recently received PGXL. It is working very well. I use wire antennas at 35 feet. Fan dipole and an L antenna. Have been running 500 to 700 watts in past with old amp. With the new amp cranking up to 1500 watts the RF in my house is significant. Will be anxious to get the Flex Tuner one day as high VSWR increases peak efficiency current and voltages. I already installed many ferrites in the past and looks like I have more work to do. I am looking to changing to new RG214, double shielded. Some conduit for alarm systems and intercom. Thanks to this thread I will add ferrites to the Ethernet lines. 73 Bill W9JJB

Steven WA8Y

If it works at 30w nut not 1KW, it is an RF problem. Check all coax connections. Test on a dummy load to eliminate antenna. Has you noticed a change in SWR?

James Charlton

Mike VE3CKO

James Charlton