Its very wise to use an isolation transformer -- at least at the receiver end -- so a shorted capacitor can never result in a blown radio front end! As W8JI has pointed out, be very careful to take precautions to prevent water and moisture infiltration into your coaxial cables and connectors which can result in an elevated noise floor.
As KM1H reminded us, very inexpensive 24 volt microwave SPDT RF relays sealed in a DIP package from Electronic Goldmine are superb high isolation relays for receiving antennas. It takes only 8 milliamps to drive the coil. I've never had a relay failure. http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G16510 73 Frank W3LPL ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tim Shoppa" <tsho...@wmata.com> To: "David Cole" <g3...@yahoo.co.uk>, topband@contesting.com Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 2:32:25 PM Subject: Re: Topband: Voltage along coax feeder September 1997 QST, K9AY relay and switch box. Usually done with two DPDT relays (giving 4 possible permutations) rather than three SPST relays. Google will find you many slight variations of the remote relay and station controller boxes showing different ways to couple in the control voltage over the coax. Some use chokes others use transformers. Some use autotransformers and some use isolation transformers. I use isolation transformers at both ends of CATV 75 ohm coax. Tim N3QE -----Original Message----- From: Topband [mailto:topband-boun...@contesting.com] On Behalf Of David Cole Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 4:49 PM To: topband@contesting.com Subject: Topband: Voltage along coax feeder Could anyone please point me in the direction of a circuit to feed +12 -12 and AC along the feeder to my beverages to switch 3 relays - thanks all from Dave in the UK All good topband ops know fine whiskey is a daylight beverage. _________________ Topband Reflector All good topband ops know fine whiskey is a daylight beverage. _________________ Topband Reflector All good topband ops know fine whiskey is a daylight beverage. _________________ Topband Reflector