[CQ-Contest] Carrying rig on airliner (ESD protection)?

[Bill Turner]

On Fri, 16 Jan 1998 07:51:34 -0600, DavidHarper at tx.slr.com wrote:
<snip>

>but once the
>electronics are inside their casing they are safe if the gear has been
>designed properly.  
_______________________________________________________________
Unfortunately not all amateur gear is "designed properly".  I once
damaged a Kantronics TNC by unplugging it, carrying about six feet
across a room and plugging it in.  The PTT line driver FET was shorted
when I powered it up and I'm convinced it was static that did it.  In
this unit, the FET is connected directly to the DB-25 connector with
no protective capacitor or resistor at all.  I did not "hot-switch"
the TNC, all I did was unplug, carry, plug.  My point is that ham gear
is not necessarily protected as it should be.  If you are confident
yours is, by all means pack it in anything you like.

73, Bill W7TI



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