Ringo Ranger ARX-2B Antenna Problem - VHFUHF Forum at eHam.net

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eHam.net Forum : VHFUHF : Ringo Ranger ARX-2B Antenna Problem

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Ringo Ranger ARX-2B Antenna Problem	Reply
by N9LEA on November 1, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
I've had a Ringo Ranger ARX-2B sitting around in the basement for a number of years. It worked well when I took it down from an old house. I put it up on the roof the other day, mostly for use as a scanner antenna on VHF, and it barely performs better than a rubber ducky. I have only used it in receive mode, as I am a bit frightened to connect a transmitter to it, given the concern below. There's new feedline to it - it and the various connections appear good and check out just fine with an ohmmeter. Here's the question: When I measure the resistance across the feedline with the antenna connected, I get 1 ohm, which is basically a short. Is this normal? I wouldn't expect so. If not, is there a particular place on this antenna (like that coil or somewhere) that I should be checking out? I do plan to check that coax stub once I get up on the roof again. Thanks!

RE: Ringo Ranger ARX-2B Antenna Problem	Reply
by WB6BYU on November 1, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
That's normal. The Ringo is named for the ring, which is a tapped coil that forms part of a tuned circuit. The coil goes between the whip and ground, and the feedline is tapped onto it. All three (radiator, ground, feedpoint) are shorted together for DC (but not for RF.)

RE: Ringo Ranger ARX-2B Antenna Problem	Reply
by N9LEA on November 1, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
Thanks for the reply. If the "short" is normal, any idea what I should be checking regarding the poor performance? I assume that this thing on a roof should be performing better than a rubber ducky. :)

RE: Ringo Ranger ARX-2B Antenna Problem	Reply
by WB2WIK on November 1, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
Yes, it should be performing 20-30 dB better. You have a problem. Either the coax is shorted, which is impossible to tell with the Ringo connected since it is supposed to be a short (you'd have to disconnect the Ringo and measure again), or it has a bad connection somewhere within its structure, which has numerous clamped aluminum-to-aluminum connections. Or possibly the "ring" tap is very far out of whack and the antenna isn't tuned to anywhere near the 2 meter band. Can you measure the SWR?

RE: Ringo Ranger ARX-2B Antenna Problem	Reply
by N9LEA on November 1, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
Sounds like I'd be best to pull the works down and see what I can measure. The good news is that this is a relatively easy antenna to disassemble and (hopefully) reassemble. Any idea what to measure on the ring thingie? In any case, I can look for obvious issues. Thanks!

RE: Ringo Ranger ARX-2B Antenna Problem	Reply
by WB6BYU on November 1, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
One likely possibility is that one of the aluminum-to- aluminum joints is corroded. Aluminum oxide is the same color but a good insulator. Clean the joints and add some Ox-Gard or similar corrosion inhibitor to all the joints. Make sure you check the SWR when you are done, as just a small change in the ring tap settings can through it off. Note that the tuned circuit relies on the capacitance between the inner tube (connected to the radiator) and the outer tube mounting tube (which is grounded). If this part of the antenna has been changed somehow, it will throw the tuning off.

RE: Ringo Ranger ARX-2B Antenna Problem	Reply
by WB2WIK on November 2, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
>RE: Ringo Ranger ARX-2B Antenna Problem Reply by N9LEA on November 1, 2009 Mail this to a friend! Sounds like I'd be best to pull the works down and see what I can measure. The good news is that this is a relatively easy antenna to disassemble and (hopefully) reassemble. Any idea what to measure on the ring thingie? In any case, I can look for obvious issues.< The ring is grounded at one end to the base of the antenna; the other end attaches to the main radiator, and the coax feedpoint connection attaches to a sliding, adjustable "tap" that moves around the ring to find the correct position to provide a match to your coax at the frequency of operation. It's pretty simple. It's just an adjustable transformer. It's also what "shorts out" the antenna feedpoint for DC. You find the correct tap point using an antenna analyzer or SWR bridge. You can't guess at it, and "measuring" it mechanically doesn't work: You "measure" it electrically.

RE: Ringo Ranger ARX-2B Antenna Problem	Reply
by KI4SDY on November 8, 2009	Mail this to a friend!
Before you pull the antenna apart check your coax to see if it has a dead short. Did you install the connectors? Many hams think they are good at this but end up with a single hard to see copper wire shorting the center conductor. These antennas have a lot of external connections exposed. If the coax isn't the problem, how is the condition of the antenna? If it looks corroded around the matching system and connector, it probably is and needs a complete cleaning. Don't forget to use a flashlight and check inside the SO239 female connector for corrosion. You can brighten that up with a sliver of green pot scrubber pad twisted into the opening.

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