[TenTec] GFI Problems

[Charles Greene]

Duane and all who responded,

Thanks to all who responded.  I tried many of the suggestions, but to no 
avail.  The latest QST, January 2005, has an article on electrical circuits 
by Steve Ford and includes a description of a GFI.  He says "some early 
units may have been sensitive to RF radiation, but this problem appears to 
have been solved."  Steve is right on.  I bought and installed a new GFI 
outlet for the bathroom ($11.89 at Home Depot).  End of problem.  Swan 
Linear on max but no tripping of the breaker.

Now I need to get a line filter to keep my XYL's electric bed from cranking 
up when I transmit.  That's a no-no at 6am  :-)

At 04:40 PM 12/14/2004, you wrote:
>Hello Charles,
>         GFI breakers are very sensitive, and can trip from induced
>current if you have just a long circuit attached to it (I think they're
>spec'ed to be OK up to 100' (or 150' - I forget the exact number.)  Just
>a wind current on a long outside wire will trip them.  So, it's not a
>surprise you might induce enough current in that circuit to trip the GFI.
>  You might try changing out the GFI outlet on the off-chance that it is
>deteriorating with age and tripping more easily than it should.
>Otherwise, perhaps rearranging the antenna a bit might reduce the current
>enough to stop the problem.
>
>         73,  Duane
>
>
>On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 22:34:53 -0500 Charles Greene <w1cg at qsl.net> writes:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I hooked up my Swan Linear to my OMNI-VI and had some RF in the
> > shack when
> > using my Windom antenna which I cured by installing a couple of 1:1
> > baluns
> > in the coax feed line, but I still have one problem I haven't solved
> >
> > yet.  When I transmit, the upstairs bathroom Ground Fault Isolator
> > trips,
> > probably on RF.  The antenna is about 15 ft from the GFI, so the
> > wires
> > going to the GFI may be picking up the RF directly from the antenna.
> >  On my
> > vertical which is about 30 ft from the GFI, there are no RF
> > problems.  Has
> > anyone had this problem, and what did you do to eliminate it?   I
> > must be
> > somewhat common because I was talking to a local ham who had and
> > still has
> > the same problem.  I was thinking about installing some .001 ufd
> > caps
> > across the wires in the bathroom wall coming into the GFI
> > receptacle.  I
> > don't know if that would do the job or make it worse.
> >
> > TNX for the bandwidth
> >
> > Chas, W1CG