Link problem !!

[DJ Mikey]

Wonder if anyone can help, having some strange problem never experienced before, everything links then as soon as we put the audio cable into the link box and play audio through the link suddenly goes, so we shortened the horn lead and managed to get music playing but at a low volume if its turnt up any higher the link just goes completely, to have to get it back in either have to turn the volume back down to where it was and take audio cable out and back in or re move the horn, this is also goes for the horn its very temperamental, 1 little touch and the link drops out, also having some strange problem with the light in the room when switched on or off it drops then too, baring in mind we have tried 2 link boxes, 2 horn leads, changed rooms, anyone had this problem before ? we have narrowed it down to either the horn (which is brand new c&k 1 of the smaller 1s) or the receiver end but then we are receiving them ghost sounds in the white noise (which i know it shouldn't be but a totally differant story and our engineer will be sorting this) so it must be receiving ok ?

[teckniqs]

Are you using PC for audio? Does it still do it without the audio cable connected to link box?

[DJ Mikey]

At 1st with the longer horn cable even just putting the audio cable into link box without no audio playing was enough to knock it out so when we switched to the shorter cable it now plays audio just about 1 knock of the link box or if the audio is turn a tad then the white noise comes in, its really strange, i cant work none of it out

[s2000]

When you say 'long' and 'short' cable, how many meters are we talking?

I have done a few experiments with link systems, I had a special satcan receiver once that would receive the link and digitally track a drifting gunn module. It worked lovely, then one day I made up a really long phono lead (about 30-40m) and set the link box voltage slightly higher (to compensate for the volt drop over the longer cable). It worked but the receiver unit was no longer able to track the gunn drifting and would easily come out of sync. As soon as I went back to the short cable, it all worked again. Could never work out why lol

[DJ Mikey]

The shorter 1 must be around 9/10 metres the long 1 is 13. But we used the the 9/10 metre cable for the last 6 months straight no problem with it at all with the same link box, it's got to be a voltage problem somewhere but not to do with the link box as both have been tested.

[Analyser]

Personally, I don't like the small C&K horns, never found them to link reliably. The problem sounds to me like you may be linked to a weak sideband and the slightest voltage variation is dropping the link out.

[Albert H]

You're probably tuned to an image of the carrier, not the actual carrier frequency. It's easy to do!

[DJ Mikey]

Kind of all making more sense now, guys how can we sort this ? Been linked fine using all the same gear for 6 months can that suddenly just happen at 1am on a Thursday morning ? Iv narrowed it down to the receiver end and can only pin point it to lnb / sat cable / sat can

[teckniqs]

What is the output V to horn?

[DJ Mikey]

After 3 nights until 5am sorting found out the horn was missing a certain diode you'd think when you buy gear brand new they should come ready to work especially when you get told that and they are meant to be the experts, manage to solder it on, strong link now !!!

[thewisepranker]

we are receiving them ghost sounds in the white noise (which i know it shouldn't be but a totally differant story and our engineer will be sorting this) so it must be receiving ok ?

What do you mean by that?

[shorty]

Could it be someone dicking around jamming your microwave link, pointing there horn at your tx site, sounds sus that after 6 months working ok it starts dropping out then coming back on.

[DJ Mikey]

It's all good now it was horn related finally got to the bottom of it. After 6 months of a horn sitting on a Window ledge in a bag it had somehow rusted the bottom of the horn where the diodes are and so we bought 1 that obviously wasn't in working order which now is.