OK, the thread triggered me. At my station on top of a flat top mesa with a 180 foot tower and EDZ antennas on 160 and full wave inverted V antennas that do not have an DC ground. I do static discharge a little different. I use open frame relays to do all of the ladder line switching of the individual antennas. But I include a short across the ladder line leads and a earth ground when that antenna is not is use. That way when I switch in a new antenna, it is dead earth potential. Just a thought. Mel, K6KBE
--- On Sun, 9/9/12, Vic K2VCO <k2vco....@gmail.com> wrote: From: Vic K2VCO <k2vco....@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Antenna static charge precautions - any tips? To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Date: Sunday, September 9, 2012, 3:59 PM Which reminds me: I have ICE lightning protectors on my feedlines where they come into the shack. These have a built-in choke across the side that goes to the antenna, which drains static charges. See <http://www.arraysolutions.com/Products/surge_arrestorAS-3xx.htm> The only disadvantage of these is that they also have a DC blocking capacitor in series with the center conductor, which complicates things if you want to inject a DC voltage to operate a remote switch or tuner. On 9/9/2012 3:28 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: > Keep in mind that the resistors (or a choke) only provide PARTIAL > protection. If you connect an antenna to the rig that has accumulated a > significant voltage - which can happen in a couple of minutes in dry windy > conditions, in a rainfall, or even during a snowfall, you'll still damage > the rig when you connect it because the voltage won't drop fast enough > through the protection circuit. Not even a choke may protect against that > due to the rapid rise time of the spike. > > That's why it's an excellent idea to keep any disconnected antennas grounded > or, if one has been left open, to ground it before connecting it to the rig. > > > Hopefully less common is a nearby lightening discharge that induces a > current in the antenna. I'm not talking about a direct hit or even anything > close to it. The strike may be some distance away and still induce a > damaging amount of current that the resistor (or choke) cannot bleed off > fast enough. That's another reason to shut down and ground antennas if > lightning can be heard, no matter how far away. > > 73, Ron AC7AC -- Vic, K2VCO Fresno CA http://www.qsl.net/k2vco/ ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
