Fellow TowerTalkers Where should the coax surge suppressors go? At the base of the tower or at the shack entry box or both? I have my tower coax grounded at the tower base. Just put in a new undergro
Where antennas are bonded to all the bonded grounds, where they enter the shack. They protect the rig(s) two ways. First, by bonding the coax shield, and second by shorting the center conductor to th
Where antennas are bonded to all the bonded grounds, where they enter the shack. They protect the rig(s) two ways. First, by bonding the coax shield, and second by shorting the center conductor to th
Author: Gene Smar via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2021 20:59:38 -0400
Shawn: My antenna/coax configuration is a bit different in that I have an antenna switch at the bottom of the tower. All of my HF antenna coax lines terminate on that switch before an antenna i
Protectors are for the RADIO, not the coax. And they can't do that at the tower. What you cite as "commercial practice" is the only right way to do it. 73, Jim K9YC __________________________________
Author: Gene Smar via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2021 17:19:40 -0400
Jim: Thanks for your note. With my antenna switch at the tower, I see no need to put a suppressor on the single run of 50 feet of coax that is entirely underground or within steel boxes at the
On 10/13/2021 2:19 PM, Gene Smar via TowerTalk wrote: I see no need to put a suppressor on the single run of 50 feet of coax that is entirely underground or within steel boxes at the tower base and o
5) As to buried coax, the skin depth of soil can be pretty great. I've seen estimates from W8JI on the order of 60 ft at 2 MHz, probably a bit less at higher frequencies, and highly variable with soi
You need to have the tower bonded to your house electric ground for NEC compliance. To the question of the AC entrance on the other side of the house, the easiest way to deal with this is to run an A
Jim, et al: What about control cables coming down the tower? I just skimmed through the first edition of Ward's grounding book. It recommends bonding the coax shields to the tower, but doesn't say an
Rotator cables typically have no shield to bond to the tower. I use MOVs near all of my rotators to protect the motors and potentiometers. John KK9A Jim, et al: What about control cables coming down
Author: Gene Smar via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2021 14:03:45 -0400
TT: I read, possibly here back in the late 90s, a recommendation to wind a few turns into the rotator control cable at the tower top and bottom to create some impedance against lightning surges.
Hi Mike, Bonding coax top and bottom is done to protect the cable, to keep it at the same potential as the tower, and I suspect it comes from practice in the commercial world for hard line. I inherit