[Elecraft] Antenna static charge precautions - any tips?

[Mike Morrow]

Ron wrote:

> Many antenna systems do not require this protection. They are shunt fed
> which provides a direct-current short across the feed line at all times.
>
> Chokes may work fine, but all chokes have some parasitic capacitance across
> the windings which means they have a series resonances somewhere across the
> RF spectrum.

Even in the "dark ages", most US WWII military aircraft HF receivers like the
famous BC-348-series were modified to install a 1 Mohm resistor from antenna
terminal to ground to dissipate antenna static.  Static voltage build-up
on wire antennas external to the aircraft in motion could otherwise build up
quite high.  The other approach was using a small neon bulb (NE-2) in place
of the resistor.

Compared to choke or neon bulb, the resistor seems to be the most elegant
solution in terms of simplicity with no detectable adverse consequences.

Chuck wrote:

> Which begs the question...why isn't a 100K across the antenna jack in the
> original design?

Good question...with no known good answer.  :-)

73,
Mike / KK5F