[TowerTalk] Static Drain Resistor in Arrestor

[Greg Troxel]

RVZ via TowerTalk <towertalk at contesting.com> writes:

> I love the idea of a "Static Drain Resistor" in an arrestor if it
> actually reduces "static" QRN on receive.  I've installed about a

The other point of a resistor is drain static charge from an ungrounded
antenna to prevent buildup to levels that could arc, or could pose a
hazard to an operator.  Long ago, someone I knew had a folded dipole fed
with 300 \ohm line connected to balanced inputs on something like a
johnson matchbox.  At some point, during wind but not lightning, if I
recall correctly, he touched that by accident and was thrown back hard.
Such an antenna is not that high value a capacitor, and a megohm can
keep the charge down while being irrelevant at RF.  A resistor was
installed, and the problem did not recur.

I realize a gas discharge tube might have fired had there been one.

73 de n1dam