Topband: Beverage termination resistor source

[Michael James]

We just received our new Mouser Electronics catalog today, and they have a new carbon composition resistor available that appears suitable for Beverage antenna termination resistors.

They are made by Kamaya. Half-watt resistors are only $0.36 each, and one-watt resistors are $2.21 each. See catalog #637 (Feb.-April 2009), page number 637. (I'll be paralleling two 1/2 watt units to get the value I need for my second Beverage).


On page 636 of the same catalog, they have another resistor which may also work. They are Thick Film Metal Glaze resistors, made by IRC. They feature "high surge strength" and are advertised as effective replacements for carbon composition resistors. The catalog does not say whether they are non-inductive. However, even if they have the spiral groove characteristic of other common resistors (which would of course make them inductive), it is unlikely that the inductance would be high enough to affect operation on 160.


If the termination resistor cannot handle a surge, even distant lightning strikes can cause it to fail. That's why carbon comp resistors are preferred for this application.


Mouser Electronics is at http://www.mouser.com


73,
Michael J. Waters
W0BTU