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[TowerTalk] Common Mode Choke Locations

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Common Mode Choke Locations
From: Art Greenberg <art@artg.tv>
Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2023 13:52:39 -0500
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I seek a better understanding of the proper application of common mode chokes.

First, the setup:

I have several coax-fed antennas on a crank-up tower. The coax shields are bonded to the tower at the top of the tower (at the end of the rotor loop) and near the bottom of the tower. The bottom of the tower is in turn bonded to a fairly extensive lightning ground system. The coax leaves the lower bonding point and is bundled with rotor and control cables, all of which go under ground in conduit to an entrance panel where the coax encounters lightning arrestors mounted on a copper plate. There are also lightning arrestors for the rotor and control cables mounted on the copper plate. There is also a copper strap that runs alongside the conduit to bond the tower to the copper plate. The copper plate is bonded to additional ground below it which is also connected to the mains ground.

The questions:

I realize that the bonding and lightning ground system isn't an RF ground, but I wonder if it influences the location(s) of common mode chokes?

I -think- a CM choke is appropriate at the antenna feedpoint, despite the bonding setup. Is that true?

Is an additional CM choke appropriate near the bottom of the tower? On which side of the bonding at the bottom of the tower?

Is an additional CM choke appropriate before the lightning arrestor? Or between the lightning arrestor and the equipment?

TNX

--
Art Greenberg
WA2LLN
art@artg.tv
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