5/8th Antenna question

[Marconi]

I have tried the ground thing also, from a 4:1 balun feeding a 160 meter full wave loop, ungrounded or grounded it had the same amount of static noise.

Wavrider, that was my experience too.

This is my theory on grounding for static. IMO static is pretty much static (still and tending not to flow) until a differential in potential comes close by, like touching a metal door knob or your cat's nose on a cold day in winter, then you might see a flow.

Its magnitude is very small and thus needs to be very close with a very low resistance path in order to flow. An antenna is not necessarily that low in resistance, and neither is the mast for sure. However, parts of the feed line may be much lower, and thus we can have a differential. If you ground the feed line shield, it may be able to minimize static back to the transmitter somewhat. The antenna ground and the mast are typically too high in resistance, and thus we see a path, but little to no remedy.

I can't be categorical about static elimination, but I think this is partly why the YouTube video guy I mentioned above was successful at stopping his static right before our eyes and ears.

There is more to the possibility of why I wasn't successful trying the same thing, but if I told you, I'd have to have you sent to Guantanamo.

 

[wavrider]

OK on Gitmo, Been there done that.

I have also sen where line isolators have been able to reduce the amount of static on receive.

I am in a good QTH location to play with this project, Just a few minutes away from some high voltage power lines, fluorescent, halogen, and mercury vapor lights all around and at times I can get up to 7 S units of static on the receive.

I will search for the video you mentioned thanks.

 

[Marconi]

OK on Gitmo, Been there done that.

I have also sen where line isolators have been able to reduce the amount of static on receive.

I am in a good QTH location to play with this project, Just a few minutes away from some high voltage power lines, fluorescent, halogen, and mercury vapor lights all around and at times I can get up to 7 S units of static on the receive.

I will search for the video you mentioned thanks.

I looked for the video, but apparently he didn't use any tag words and I don't remember the title.

 

[wavrider]

I did not have any luck either finding the video. Thanks for looking and maybe I will stumble across it some day.

 

[hookedon6]

.... The antenna ground and the mast are typically too high in resistance, and...

say what???????????????????

 

[Marconi]

say what???????????????????

HO6, this is just my opinion only. I can't claim this idea as gospel. Metal towers and other supports do conduct, but the distinction in this case is there is another conductor with much lower resistance nearby for static to flow on in the case of an antenna installation.

The point of the statement is that the resistance to static flowing on the mast is less likely than the static flowing on the shield of the feed line. IMO, I consider this due to the differences in materials resistance and construction.

IMO, most towers and other metal masts are not very good current conductors for low power static, compared to the shield of the coax. So if the rule for current flowing on the path of least resistance to ground is true, then..........

 

[W5LZ]

Conductivity has almost nothing to do with static electricity. Non-conductors carry static electricity as much as conductors do, in fact, that's how some of it is made. You are dealing with charged fields and there's no conduction until those fields are strong enough to overcome the resistance of whatever is between those fields. That 'whatever' can be almost anything. How about artificial materials made into carpets, or rubber, or silk, or just plain old air. The addition of electrons to those fields is typically done by friction, to thingys moving against each other.
Think about it.
- 'Doc

 

[Needle Bender]

Conductivity has almost nothing to do with static electricity. Non-conductors carry static electricity as much as conductors do, in fact, that's how some of it is made. You are dealing with charged fields and there's no conduction until those fields are strong enough to overcome the resistance of whatever is between those fields. That 'whatever' can be almost anything. How about artificial materials made into carpets, or rubber, or silk, or just plain old air. The addition of electrons to those fields is typically done by friction, to thingys moving against each other.
Think about it.
- 'Doc

Wind moving against the antenna, or other things causing it to carry charged particles onto the antenna, will either find their way into the receiver or the grounding system.
I prefer having that voltage go to ground, not into my receiver front end, but that's just me.

 

[hookedon6]

^^ ab v c^^

Wind moving against the antenna, or other things causing it to carry charged particles onto the antenna, will either find their way into the receiver or the grounding system.
I prefer having that voltage go to ground, not into my receiver front end, but that's just me.

pretty much exactly correct.


anyone that has ever hung a long wire on a balloon/kite/ect, usually finds that out real quick,........

unless they provide a proper path to ground!^^ ab v c^^

{Cry_river}**Jump_im***Don`t do it* btw: I'M just playin with the new icons:

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

Ok I got a what appears to be a Maco 5/8th GP...

The weird thing is the ground plane attachment is isolated from the boom? unlike the other I have in the antenna pile..
Can some one shed some light on this.. is it suppose to be this way or was prevous owner trying some thing funny.

I know there is many different variants on this model..... Next question how do you know for sure if it a Maco or what ever.


Thnx WD-40

are you sure it's a 5/8 ? the tuning ring looks a little small ... kinda like something on a ringo 1/2 wave . but the ringo didn't have ground elements . have you measured the vertical to see if its physical length is closer to a 5/8 WL or ar 1/2 WL ?

 

[Wiskey Delta-40]

are you sure it's a 5/8 ? the tuning ring looks a little small ... kinda like something on a ringo 1/2 wave . but the ringo didn't have ground elements . have you measured the vertical to see if its physical length is closer to a 5/8 WL or ar 1/2 WL ?

Booty,

I did slip it together nothing tight... And measured right at 21+ feet so I am going to presume this is a 5/8th antenna

 

[binrat]

Booty,

I did slip it together nothing tight... And measured right at 21+ feet so I am going to presume this is a 5/8th antenna

Hey wiskey, do you mind measuring the dia of that ring?

 

[Wiskey Delta-40]

Hey wiskey, do you mind measuring the dia of that ring?

It is right at 12.5" across