To ground or not to ground

[Clint-2]

OK, this is OT, sort of. It will be connected to my K3 so..

I just bought a remote mast mounted antenna switch (Ameritron RSC-8V). It comes with the center conductor electrically floating when the port is OFF. It seems to me I would be better off (safer) if the center conductor was grounded (or had a gas discharge tube or choke or resistor or??? when OFF.

What do ya think?

One thing is for darn sure, I am going to paint the cruddy polystyrene box and steel brackets (with "Rust Bullet"  FYI), clean off the flux and coat the PC board before it sees the costal weather! Caulking will be in order also. Salty rain and spray are nasty even 5 miles in.

 73,

Clint

KI6SSN
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[Don Wilhelm-4]

Clint,

Not OT at all.  Many remote antenna switches do it "the easy way", and
use SPST relays to switch in the selected antenna - there is no way with
that type relay to ground the antennas that are not currently selected.

So yes, some type of static discharge device would be beneficial across
each antenna connector to bleed off static.  Usually a 100 uHy choke (of
sufficient current capacity for your power level) or a 2 or 3 watt
carbon resistor in the range of 3000 to 30,000 ohms will provide the DC
path to bleed off any static charge.

Imagine your antenna with a static charge - then you select that antenna
- suddenly your transceiver is subjected to whatever charge was on the
antenna.  Sometimes OK, but other times, not so good.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/18/2012 5:51 PM, Clint wrote:
> OK, this is OT, sort of. It will be connected to my K3 so..
>
> I just bought a remote mast mounted antenna switch (Ameritron RSC-8V). It comes with the center conductor electrically floating when the port is OFF. It seems to me I would be better off (safer) if the center conductor was grounded (or had a gas discharge tube or choke or resistor or??? when OFF.
>
> What do ya think?
>
> One thing is for darn sure, I am going to paint the cruddy polystyrene box and steel brackets (with "Rust Bullet"  FYI), clean off the flux and coat the PC board before it sees the costal weather! Caulking will be in order also. Salty rain and spray are nasty even 5 miles in.
>
>
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[k6dgw]

On 2/18/2012 3:15 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> You guys in the warm climates really have it tough. Here on the Oregon coast
> I'm a few hundred yards from the surf, close enough that it's a constant
> background sound, and several times each winter we experience Cat 1 or 2
> hurricane force winds blowing in off of the ocean, yet I have yet to
> experience salt corrosion on anything.

Of course not, Ron!  It's so cold there, the NaCl is already
crystallized out by the time it gets to your antenna.  By that time,
it's practically distilled water, probably blowing horizontally. :-)

73,

Fred K6DGW
Auburn CA CM98lw

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[Don Wilhelm-4]

If you want to see a remote antenna switch that grounds all un-selected
antennas, take a look at http://www.qsl.net/ei7ba/remote.htm
It is quite easy to homebrew your own remote antenna switch.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/18/2012 6:26 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Clint,
>
> Not OT at all.  Many remote antenna switches do it "the easy way", and
> use SPST relays to switch in the selected antenna - there is no way with
> that type relay to ground the antennas that are not currently selected.
>
> So yes, some type of static discharge device would be beneficial across
> each antenna connector to bleed off static.  Usually a 100 uHy choke (of
> sufficient current capacity for your power level) or a 2 or 3 watt
> carbon resistor in the range of 3000 to 30,000 ohms will provide the DC
> path to bleed off any static charge.
>
> Imagine your antenna with a static charge - then you select that antenna
> - suddenly your transceiver is subjected to whatever charge was on the
> antenna.  Sometimes OK, but other times, not so good.
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
> On 2/18/2012 5:51 PM, Clint wrote:
>> OK, this is OT, sort of. It will be connected to my K3 so..
>>
>> I just bought a remote mast mounted antenna switch (Ameritron RSC-8V). It comes with the center conductor electrically floating when the port is OFF. It seems to me I would be better off (safer) if the center conductor was grounded (or had a gas discharge tube or choke or resistor or??? when OFF.
>>
>> What do ya think?
>>
>> One thing is for darn sure, I am going to paint the cruddy polystyrene box and steel brackets (with "Rust Bullet"  FYI), clean off the flux and coat the PC board before it sees the costal weather! Caulking will be in order also. Salty rain and spray are nasty even 5 miles in.
>>
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

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[Phil Kane-2]

On 2/18/2012 3:15 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> You guys in the warm climates really have it tough. Here on the Oregon coast
> I'm a few hundred yards from the surf, close enough that it's a constant
> background sound, and several times each winter we experience Cat 1 or 2
> hurricane force winds blowing in off of the ocean, yet I have yet to
> experience salt corrosion on anything.

I formerly lived about 3 miles inland off the California coast
(Pacifica, San Francisco area) where the fog came in almost every day
and the salt would build up in the "eye" of the dipole insulators.
---
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402

>From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon
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