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Re: [TowerTalk] Static Drain Resistor in Arrestor

To: "towertalk@contesting.com" <towertalk@contesting.com>, Jack Brindle <jackbrindle@me.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Static Drain Resistor in Arrestor
From: Wes Stewart via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Reply-to: Wes Stewart <n7ws@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2025 18:15:21 +0000 (UTC)
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
 Jack is correct.
My first experience with this was as a young Novice licensee.  I had a BC453 
receiver connected to some type of wire antenna and had the bottom cover 
removed.  There was a dry desert breeze blowing outside.  The BC453 had an NE2 
neon bulb across the antenna input and it was blinking about once per second.
Today I put 10k wirewound 10W resistors across my antenna feedpoints unless 
they are naturally DC shorts.
Wes  N7WS
    On Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at 10:43:52 AM MST, Jack Brindle via 
TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com> wrote:  
 
 Here in Louisiana we get a lot of rain and thunderstorms. Operating during 
rain used to be a huge issue caused by rain static. As the rain drops fall, 
they pick up a static charge. When the hit the antenna that is transferred to 
the antenna, and is heard on the receiver as an increasing buzz. Eventually the 
charge builds up to the point where it exceeds the level where the receiver 
protection kicks in, we get a quick “bzzzzt” then the noise is gone until it 
builds up again. This is the static that Wes correctly refers to. I first 
experienced this in the Clearwater, FL area many years ago, and before the 
arrestors I experienced it here regularly.  
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