[RFI] DirecTV to ground or not to ground

[Roger (K8RI)]

Jim P wrote:
> <snip>
> The lad will have nothing further to do with this phenom
> at this juncture (fearing a lightning hit due to 'storm
> clouds' in the area) and throws the twinlead feed line
> out the basement window!
>
>   
> Moral of the story: rain-producing cumulus (at least)
> can produce high levels of static electricity in an area
> necessitating the use of 'static electricity drain path'
>   
Cumulus in the area are not even necessary:  Blowing dust, snow, rain 
and sometimes just wind can produce enough static charge to do this. I 
had a 1/4 wave vertical on 40 that was direct fed with coax.  When it'd 
get windy the disconnected PL-259 would arc (Nice fat, bright blue one 
that'd put an ignition system to shame accompanied by a fairly loud 
*snap!*) at roughly 5 to 10 second intervals. Although often referred to 
as precipitation static I can and does occur without precipitation.

Now all antennas are at DC Ground.

73

Roger (K8RI)
> (ground) wires to reduce (keep low) the amount of
> built-up electron charge on conducting structures
> for the purposes of personnel and eqipment protection.
>
> In later years this youth, now somewhat grown up,
> purchases a used JCI rotary-vane, E-field-chopping
> electrometer off an internet-based open-market
> bidding-house (known as eBay) and verifies the
> prescence of high static-eletricity E-fields in the
> vicinity of rain-producing meteorological phenomona.
>
> JimP // WB5WPA //
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "rick darwicki" <n6pe at yahoo.com>
> To: <rfi at contesting.com>
> Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 2:12 PM
> Subject: [RFI] DirecTV to ground or not to ground
>
>
> My DTV antenna cable has an external ground wire that is broken off about 8
> feet from the dish and not grounded to the converter box.
>
> Question, for TVI (not worried about lightning around here) should I fix it
> and ground the antenna mount to the box?
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> .·:*´¨`*.·: RICK, N6PE .·:*´¨`*:·.
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