After I get my kit built, I¹ll be operating with a windom antenna on 40 10. It¹s been suggested that when I¹m not operating, I should disconnect the rig from the antenna and run the antenna to ground. I¹ve never done that in the past when I operated with wire antennas or my vertical, but it does make sense as a safety precaution. I¹m wondering if anyone has any suggestions about the best way(s) to do that? Are there any pieces of equipment that you would recommend to simplify the process? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.>>
Chuck, Nearly all the time when there is serious damage, it comes from a loop from power lines to your antenna and station ground. http://www.w8ji.com/ground_systems.htm You either MUST have a proper station ground bonded to the power mains ground and a bulkhead entrance, or you really would have to take the rig totally out of line. No power supply connections, computer connections, antenna, or anything. Although it is popular, grounding the antenna when off really means next to nothing. It can help if a hit is a mile away, or from p-static charging, but it won't do a thing if lightning hits the mains (very common) or the antenna (very rare unless you have a tall tower). For automatic antenna disconnect and static shielding you really need a double-make double-break relay, in a proper box with proper layout, to totally isolate the center conductor. It has to be a properly configured double-make double-break that grounds the transfer bar when the relay is off. Any other type of relay or switch is not secure at all. Tom ______________________________________________________________ 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
