[TenTec] GFCI problem when running high power

John K Gotwals john at gotwals.com
Tue Mar 27 13:25:30 EST 2007


I am using an Orion to drive my Drake L-4B, and I operate mostly on 40 
meters. My antenna is a 110 feet long dipole, center-fed with open-wire feed 
line, and elevated about 30 feet with the support for one end attached to 
the house chimney. My shack is in a 2nd floor bedroom, and the circuit 
breaker panel is located in the basement at the opposite end of the house. 
The house has a brick exterior, and one end of the antenna is only a few 
feet from the shack.

When I operate high power on 40 meters, a GFCI equipped circuit breaker, 
which is located in the house circuit breaker panel, moves to the open 
position. None of my station equipment is attached to this breaker; this 
particular breaker powers four outlets in the garage and two outlets on the 
house exterior. None of these outlets are normally in use. Is it possible 
(or even desirable) to install one or more bypass capacitors inside the 
breaker panel, and immediately adjacent to, the ground-fault circuit 
interrupter? If so, what type of capacitor is recommended?

John, N9JG 



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