Topband: Engineering ?? @ relays

[ford@cmgate.com]

Eric wrote:

> 
>     You should be able to get by with 1-2 mA at 13 Vdc.
> 
> -- Eric K3NA

Eric, and others,

This is what I suspect.  However, the app note at Potter and Blumfield (Tyco) website indicated that "fine silver" contacts needed 400ma minimum.  Yet the "Silver Alloy" relays they offer have a minimum contact current of 100ma.

In any antenna project, getting DC to flow in the relay can be somewhat of a trick.  When used to connect a simple dipole, you need to use a transformer wired as an isolation transformer.  Ditto for a vertical.  Decoupling the RF to allow injection of DC of any level requires numerous RF Chokes, a bias T, etc.  So the complexity gets awkward very quickly.

I clearly like the 1-2ma and will likely attempt to use a current level that can be consumed with a simple load, like a 1/2W resistor.

Thanks for the input

Ford-N0FP
ford at cmgate.com