engine noise?

[big b]

I have a 1994 S-10 4.3 Litre Vortec.

I am having problems with noise in my radio equipment (ham radio)

I believe it is "spark plug" noise. It's a staticy buzzing noises that gets worse with higher RPM. I have installed a "RELM" noises suppressor on the Power connections. re-routed the power cable away from the distrubnutor, and I still have the same noise (maybe a little less)

This leads me to believe it is coming throught the antenna.
Works fine on 440 MHz (no noise) but not on 144MHz.

I re-routed the coax away from everything ... and still no change..


I have read that better shielded Plugs would work great and solve the problems.

I have detemined it is no ht efuel pump .. turn over key(without starting) and no noise,

My questions are :
What have you guys foun that cause the most noise as i described?
What did you do to get rid of it?
Should I try the shieled wires? Do they really work ??


Thanks,
Branden

[Mikado14]

Originally Posted by big b

I have a 1994 S-10 4.3 Litre Vortec.

I am having problems with noise in my radio equipment (ham radio)

I believe it is "spark plug" noise. It's a staticy buzzing noises that gets worse with higher RPM. I have installed a "RELM" noises suppressor on the Power connections. re-routed the power cable away from the distrubnutor, and I still have the same noise (maybe a little less)

This leads me to believe it is coming throught the antenna.
Works fine on 440 MHz (no noise) but not on 144MHz.

I re-routed the coax away from everything ... and still no change..


I have read that better shielded Plugs would work great and solve the problems.

I have detemined it is no ht efuel pump .. turn over key(without starting) and no noise,

My questions are :
What have you guys foun that cause the most noise as i described?
What did you do to get rid of it?
Should I try the shieled wires? Do they really work ??


Thanks,
Branden

Hows your ground plane? Good ground?

[big b]

Originally Posted by Mikado14

Hows your ground plane? Good ground?

the DC ground is good ... I re-grounded the battery to make sure.... the antenna is a magnet mount .... That is all that is grounding the antenna is the megnet ....

Is that what you're asking?

Thanks,
Branden

[OverBoardProject]

You can try sheilded plugs, or plug wires. Your plug wires could possibly be the origionals, and might well need replacing anyways.

If your speaker, or speaker wire is anywhere near any power cable try moving it or sheilding it

When I grew up our TV would go on the fritz whenever 1 truck went by, so I found out the hard way that un-shielded plugs can effect radio signals a long was away

[hunter01]

Also, check to make sure the ground strap for the hood is connected.

[BlazerLT]

Sounds like cheap spark plug wires to me.

[big b]

Originally Posted by BlazerLT

Sounds like cheap spark plug wires to me.

yep, Auto Zone black ones !! I just replaced them about 4 months ago.. I am just finally tired of the noise.

For some reason I do not have a hood grounding strap ... I guess it's time to make one ...

Would a non grounded/poorly grounded hood radiate the ignition spark noise more ??

Branden

[Mikado14]

Originally Posted by big b

yep, Auto Zone black ones !! I just replaced them about 4 months ago.. I am just finally tired of the noise.

For some reason I do not have a hood grounding strap ... I guess it's time to make one ...

Would a non grounded/poorly grounded hood radiate the ignition spark noise more ??

Branden

Geez, LT, never thought to mention that, I thought a ham operator would have done that.

Put a GOOD set of graphite wires on. Do what hunter 01 said and install a ground strap from the hood to the firewall. Being a ham operator you should know what the "ground plane" is. How do you get an optimum SWR from a magnet mount antenna? Never saw any that was ever any good, always never could get a good SWR.

[BlazerLT]

The cheap wires cause cause the electrical interference.

Good quality shielded silicone core ignition wire suppress the EMF interference emmited from the core conductor.

[big b]

Originally Posted by Mikado14

Geez, LT, never thought to mention that, I thought a ham operator would have done that.

Put a GOOD set of graphite wires on. Do what hunter 01 said and install a ground strap from the hood to the firewall. Being a ham operator you should know what the "ground plane" is. How do you get an optimum SWR from a magnet mount antenna? Never saw any that was ever any good, always never could get a good SWR.

SWR is fine ... with the magnet mount ... As for the noise. It really depends on what radio you have and how open the front end is on the radio, the vehicle is a mina factor too. Yaesu is I guess pretty bad for this. I have never had any problems before I bought this new radio and since I just replaced the plug wires I figured they were ok . I never thought to get shielded ones... I never had that problem before ... This is alo y first chevy I have owned too ...

The roof is my ground plane ..... Being as thought there really isn't much of it then it will not perform as what, an SUV or a car would ...

I would like to do the drill through mount but one day I may want to sell the truck and some people would not like to by a truck with one there even if the mount remained .....

As for the comment about "I shold have known this .." No one can know everything from the beginning . Even though I have been licenced since 2000, everyday is still a learning experience. I have never had any ignition noise before I have owned this radio/vehicle combination. So there was no need to do research. They don't exactly explain in detail about ignition noise you might get from every vehicle ... They explain about RFI but not about from Trucks.


Thanks,
Branden