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isolation confusion
- Thread starter stingray
- Start date
Check this out from the earlier thread on this issue. Sorry for the type-O in my original post below, if the word insulate used there confused anyone.
The ground wire is already there in the form of the shielding of the coax connected to the radio, that is your rf ground and a dc ground is only for safety such as to discharge lightning strikes which are very uncommon.
The best thing you could do even with a proper dc ground connection from the antenna would be to toss your coax out the window everytime a thunderstorm appoached for the ultimate safety factor.
But if you chose to isolate the antenna from the mast you're gonna want to add a choke in the feedline at the point of isolation to reduce cmc's from traveling down the coax and on top of that you're sure to need some type of ground plane radial system at the feed point of the antenna.
what i still am not getting is this- if i isolate the antenna from the mast,
where do i hook up a ground wire (if at all) because if the antenna is supposed to be isolated from the mast to keep the mast from being part of the antenna, what is the point of adding a ground wire that will be part of the antenna??? DO I ADD A GROUND WIRE TO AN ISOLATED ANTENNA IS WHAT I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT. does the earth ground help with noise or is the coax ground good enough?
where do i hook up a ground wire (if at all) because if the antenna is supposed to be isolated from the mast to keep the mast from being part of the antenna, what is the point of adding a ground wire that will be part of the antenna??? DO I ADD A GROUND WIRE TO AN ISOLATED ANTENNA IS WHAT I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT. does the earth ground help with noise or is the coax ground good enough?
Whilst tossing the coax out of the window sounds like a good idea, one thing you have to watch out for is static electricity build up in the coax, one you could get a very high voltage jolt when yo pick the plug up, or even worse you could discharge the charge when you plug it back into the radio taking out the front end fets or transistors!
Better to ensure that the plug is grounded so any charge can drain away into the ground, or failing that touch the centre of the coax onto your earth rod. I have seen large sparks jumping out of a PL Plug to a cold water tap over 6 inches away! mind you that was during the storm itself.
Either way try not to get bitten it hurts!
B
BOOTY MONSTER
Guest
"I have seen large sparks jumping out of a PL Plug to a cold water tap over 6 inches away! mind you that was during the storm itself."
in case no one ever told you playing benjamin franklin in a storm isnt very healthy .
but if you insist ......... have someone video it for youtube next time .
in case no one ever told you playing benjamin franklin in a storm isnt very healthy .
but if you insist ......... have someone video it for youtube next time .
I look at it this way, "the lord giveth and the lord taketh away"Whilst tossing the coax out of the window sounds like a good idea, one thing you have to watch out for is static electricity build up in the coax, one you could get a very high voltage jolt when yo pick the plug up, or even worse you could discharge the charge when you plug it back into the radio taking out the front end fets or transistors!
Better to ensure that the plug is grounded so any charge can drain away into the ground, or failing that touch the centre of the coax onto your earth rod. I have seen large sparks jumping out of a PL Plug to a cold water tap over 6 inches away! mind you that was during the storm itself.
Either way try not to get bitten it hurts!
simple fact is I don't use an antenna that does not have a direct dc path to earth regardless of it's mechanical design and that's why I posted in another thread that when isolating the antenna from dc you could use a choke inline and simply dc ground the coax shield.