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  #1  
Old 07-10-2014, 11:21 AM
RV3bpilot's Avatar
RV3bpilot RV3bpilot is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: New Ulm, Minnesota
Posts: 283
Cool Radio static vanished after flying in rain?

I have the normal static hiss when I key up the radio to do position reports except the other day I flew into some light misty rain and when I keyed up there was no static hiss! That caught my attention but after about 5 minutes after I was out of the rain the static hiss came back..
What happened? Has anyone else had this happen to them? Is my aircraft building up a static charge as I fly? Do I need static wicks?
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Robin Mckee
New Ulm, MN 56073
RV3b N219BB
420 hours and counting
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  #2  
Old 07-10-2014, 11:24 AM
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BoilermakerRV BoilermakerRV is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Danville, IN (West of Indy)
Posts: 199
Default Grounding Issue?

Flying through rain would actually increase any static build-up that may be occuring. It's referred to as P-static for "precipitation static". My first thought was that the rain reduced the resistance to ground of something like an antenna. If you have access to a milliohm meter you may want to check your grounds.

Just my $0.02.
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Michael
Danville, IN

RV-7A Canopy/Finishing
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  #3  
Old 07-10-2014, 11:31 AM
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RV3bpilot RV3bpilot is offline
 
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Location: New Ulm, Minnesota
Posts: 283
Default Radio static

I checked the ground when I first put it in with a meter but I will do it again per your advice.
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Robin Mckee
New Ulm, MN 56073
RV3b N219BB
420 hours and counting
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  #4  
Old 07-10-2014, 11:58 AM
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Walt Walt is online now
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Dallas/Ft Worth, TX
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Default

Note he said "milliohm" meter, a standard meter won't go low enough to do much good.
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Walt Aronow, DFW, TX (52F)

EXP Aircraft Services LLC
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  #5  
Old 08-09-2014, 10:26 AM
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RV3bpilot RV3bpilot is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: New Ulm, Minnesota
Posts: 283
Thumbs up Radio static problem solved

I found that when the battery was full charged the static went away so I was pretty sure that the alternator was the problem making spikes in the power line. So I added three small capacitors to the power line and all the static is gone.
The capacitors I added was for different frequencies.
1st Cap. .001 uf Hi freq.
2nd Cap. .1 uf Med. freq.
3rd Cap. 4.6 uf Low. freq.

I twisted the wires together of all three capacitors and soldered them on the power line and the other side of the capicitors was soldered to the ground wire.

These Capacitors are small, light weight and cheap on e-bay, Get the ones that look like a resistor with one wire coming from each end of the Cap. that makes for easy soldering and helps to keep the power wires seperated from the ground wires. Make sure to cover each with shrink tube or electrical tape when done.
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Robin Mckee
New Ulm, MN 56073
RV3b N219BB
420 hours and counting
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