OP
OP
It's been a while since I played radio on the ST. I added an inline DC filter and ferrite chokes around the DC supply lines to the aux pod lights. too, but that changed nothing. So it kinda went on hold. I was planning on pulling all the tupperware off and rerouting the antenna coax away from the right side ignition coil. With warmer weather and an itch to scratch, I had another thought and decided to take this from a different perspective.
My initial thought was that the addition of LED lighting was my culprit. After doing a few tests of listening to VHF and UHF AM modes un-squelched, I've come to the conclusion, the BIKE is the source of the noise floor increase. VHF is absolutely crushed by the engine running where UHF has a little added noise but not much. I guess my issues on UHF may have been more or less just output power and repeater performance.
I took my AM test one step further. I parked the ST 4 feet behind my Honda Element (The family calls it my Toaster). With the toaster's engine off and the dual band FT7800 on VHF Air band, I found air traffic that was just above the noise floor. With the ST engine switch off, I had my wife turn the key on. The headlights (less the aux pods) came up and the noise floor came up a little too. Next was the high beams, oddly enough, the noise floor lowered when they were switched on. Back to low beams and then turned on the aux pod lights... oh the noise! The NF came up substantially. Turned the pods off and flipped the run switch to see if the fuel pump would join the band. It didn't! The last test was to see if the bike was a big hunk of radiant noise. The wife hit the start button and the VHF air band disappeared like it flew into the Bermuda Triangle. Everything was repeated for the UHF band at 446 Mhz AM. I'm happy to say that although the UHF noise floor increased with the bike running, it wasn't anywhere as bad as on VHF.
Do I want to pull all the tupperware off and sift through every electrical connection, looking for the grail ? No. Am I going to take it for what it is, Yes.
Part of me says; the next time I go bike shopping, I need to bring along my VX-7r to check the VHF noise level. The other part of me says shut up and ride.
Michael
My initial thought was that the addition of LED lighting was my culprit. After doing a few tests of listening to VHF and UHF AM modes un-squelched, I've come to the conclusion, the BIKE is the source of the noise floor increase. VHF is absolutely crushed by the engine running where UHF has a little added noise but not much. I guess my issues on UHF may have been more or less just output power and repeater performance.
I took my AM test one step further. I parked the ST 4 feet behind my Honda Element (The family calls it my Toaster). With the toaster's engine off and the dual band FT7800 on VHF Air band, I found air traffic that was just above the noise floor. With the ST engine switch off, I had my wife turn the key on. The headlights (less the aux pods) came up and the noise floor came up a little too. Next was the high beams, oddly enough, the noise floor lowered when they were switched on. Back to low beams and then turned on the aux pod lights... oh the noise! The NF came up substantially. Turned the pods off and flipped the run switch to see if the fuel pump would join the band. It didn't! The last test was to see if the bike was a big hunk of radiant noise. The wife hit the start button and the VHF air band disappeared like it flew into the Bermuda Triangle. Everything was repeated for the UHF band at 446 Mhz AM. I'm happy to say that although the UHF noise floor increased with the bike running, it wasn't anywhere as bad as on VHF.
Do I want to pull all the tupperware off and sift through every electrical connection, looking for the grail ? No. Am I going to take it for what it is, Yes.
Part of me says; the next time I go bike shopping, I need to bring along my VX-7r to check the VHF noise level. The other part of me says shut up and ride.
Michael
