[TenTec] grounding

[Martin AA6E]

M. Todd Miskel wrote:
> Doesn't a good earth ground help remove stray RF from the shack? along with 
> ferrtie cores etc...

Ferrites can help, but if you really want a "good" RF ground, it should 
be less than about 1/10 wavelength long at the shortest wavelength you 
want to use.  So about 3 feet in the 10 meter band!

If it's not that short, it can be "tuned" to be an integral number of 
half wavelengths at any one particular operating frequency... but then 
your "ground" lead becomes part of your antenna system. It will radiate 
and receive.

So it is good advice (as someone said) to be sure your antenna is well 
balanced and as far away from the shack as possible.  In that case, the 
RF ground is usually not needed. But a good AC & lightning single point 
ground system is still important.

73 Martin AA6E