[TowerTalk] Polyphaser question

[Pete Smith]

At 07:42 AM 7/23/98 -0400, Joe Natale wrote:
>
>I want to use a Polyphaser lightning arrestor and an Ameritron remote
>antenna  switch. The Polyphaser literature states the arrestor is DC
>blocked. Will this prevent the control signal for the antenna switch from
>making it to the switch? The switch uses 14 volts through the coax, but I
>haven't been able to determine from the Amertiron literature whether it is a
>DC or AC signal. Anyone using this combination or a similar setup?

I don't believe there is any effective lightning arrestor made that has a
path through the arrestor that will handle +DC, -DC and AC, all of which
are needed for the Ameritron RCS-4(or its predecessor, the Heath antenna
switch).  I have the Heath, and have explored the issue somewhat, including
a very informative conversation with one of the technical people at ICE.

One possible approach is to modify the Heath control box and relay box to
bring the control voltages out onto a separate 2-conductor line.  I use
this scheme in a homebrewed control box for my 80-meter array, and it works
fine.  You can use 4-conductor telephone wire with 2 wires in parallel for
each conductor, which is nice and cheap.  At least you don't need 5, 6 or
8-conductor rotor cable that way.


73,  Pete Smith N4ZR
In wild, wonderful, fairly rare WEST Virginia

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