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[TowerTalk] static drainage

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] static drainage
From: ccc@space.mit.edu (Chuck Counselman)
Date: Mon Jan 27 08:58:49 2003
At 7:59 AM -0500 1/27/03, Pete N4ZR wrote:
>...is it worthwhile to install 1.5 megohm resistors inside the relay 
>boxes across each antenna jack, as is done in the Heathkit switch, 
>presumably to drain static electricity?

Yes, very much so!  An antenna (or part of an antenna, such as 
one-half of a dipole connected to the center-conductor of a coaxial 
feedline) left floating very easily acquires a (literally) staggering 
electric charge, more than enough to blow a receiver front-end.

Probably you should also have a lightning protector in the feedline 
from each antenna.

-Chuck, W1HIS

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