[TowerTalk] Winding Beverage RX Balun de K0FF

[Tom Rauch]

> I used to use small cores with small wires but kept
> losing them to nearby lightning strikes, especially on 
> my East Beverage which runs parallel to my incoming 
> power line for 150 ft, spaced 50 ft.
> 
> After going to 1 inch diameter cores and #20 wire, 
> no more problems.
> 
> de  Tom  N4KG

???

I can fit number 20 easily into my small cores!

If you use the right core, it only takes about 2 passes through the 
core for a 50 or 75 ohm primary! That would mean a 7 pass 
secondary maximum. (I use the word "pass" instead of turn, 
because the wire outside the core hole does not affect turns ratio.) 

One thing I do is put a lightning gap across the input, and a small 
"fuse link" of #30 wire. I do that at both ends of the antenna.

I have about 30 or so Beverages, and only have had one 
component failure since I've added gaps. That was a fuse link 
failure only.

I have so many relays, antennas, and amplifiers I can't tolerate 
reliability problems in the hardware. All my amplifiers are in the 
house now.


73, Tom W8JI
w8ji@contesting.com

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