[TenTec] RF Ground

[Jim Brown]

Martin Ewing wrote:
> Yes, but... It's still worth trying to establish a local RF "ground" --
> ensuring that everything in your shack is bonded together.  No antenna
> system is perfect, and many of us have some RF in our shacks.  Fortunately,
> the same bonding is needed for lightning and AC safety reasons, although
> inductance is not a worry at 60 Hz.
>
> The ideal is a Faraday Cage - enclosing your shack in a (nearly) solid
> conducting box.
>   
But a Faraday cage is NOT a solution to the fundamental problem -- RF 
CURRENT flowing where we don't want it. A Faraday cage addresses the E 
field (capacitive coupling) and poor shielding. The E-field is rarely an 
issue with ham gear.

The E-field and poor shielding IS a common problem with consumer gear, 
but usually 10-20dB less problematic than pin 1 problems excited by RF 
current.  If you're going to build  a Faraday  cage, build it in your 
living room or office where your computers are, not your ham shack. :)  

73,
Jim Brown K9YC