[Elecraft] K3/100 -Second floor- no RF ground ??

[WILLIS COOKE]

Chuck, I had a second floor shack in a beach house.  The first antenna that I had was a Butternut vertical mounted on a tripod on the roof.  It had four 32 foot radials that ran just over the roof to some 20 foot poles attached to my fence.  It worked very well, but the RF was another thing.  The shack was hotter than a pistol when I ran my amplifier with about 600 watts out.  I bought a MFJ artificial ground and could not find a way to make it help.  I had a #6 wire running through the floor to a triad of ground rods in a 10 ft triangle which did very little for the RF but did ground my AC service very well since they were driven into salt water.  I don't think the brand or model of transceiver will make a lot of difference since the RF will be coming from the antenna just a few feet over your head.  The best cure is to get the antenna higher and farther away, but of course you will incur the wrath of the HOA and possibly the XYL or some
 other three or four letter acronym.  You might not like my final cure, MOVE, but it did help when I put up a 60 ft tower with a beam.  The Butternut was pretty good, but the Cushcraft was much better!
 Willis 'Cookie' Cooke 
K5EWJ 




________________________________
From: callen1155 <callen1155 at yahoo.com>
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Wed, February 24, 2010 4:18:50 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] K3/100 -Second floor- no RF ground ??



Hello guys,

I'm planning on purchasing a K3/100 but am concerned about my second floor
shack and RF problems.

First of all:
1) I don't have an RF ground (don't really want to drill thru the house and
siding for the ground strap) and 

2) my antenna is a semi-indoor/attic dipole (HOA).
I'm running a coax from the second floor radio to the attic where i attach
to a dipole (no balun) and the dipole runs the length of the house each way
and out the eaves where both wires run out about 35 yards to the trees.  

I'm using my K2/15 and don't have problems but previously with my old Knwd
TS 830 at about 100 watts the vibroplex bug would 'bite' me. I'd also get
some RFI on the TV (didn't try any filters to prevent it).

I know both of the above arrangements are potential sources for RF problems.
What I don't know is whether RF problems (both the 'burn' and RFI) are radio
related; i.e. are some radios more prone cause issues and how is the K3/100
in this regard as compared to the TS 830?  (this may be a non-question-- i
just don't have enough experience with different radios to know). 

So I'm wonder if any of you operate a K3/100 from a second floor shack, with
no RF ground, (guess it's too much to ask about a semi-indoor antenna) and
if you're experiencing RF problems?

Also, if I experience RF problems with the K3 do any you have any experience
with an "Artificial RF Ground" such as the MFJ-931? 

Sorry about being long winded.

Hope I'm not 'destined' to order a K3/10 instead.

thanks again.
chuck
af4xk
-- 
View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K3-100-Second-floor-no-RF-ground-tp4628979p4628979.html
Sent from the [K3] mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html