[Elecraft] K3S Proper Grounding

Thu Oct 1 11:11:31 EDT 2015

Part of my confusion is based on this being a commercial solution that
didn't have a problem until recently. One thing I've thought of is that my
TV configuration may have changed with the addition of a Chromecast..etc..
so I'll be doing a clean setup troubleshooting here soon (remove everything
except power, see if I can duplicate.. if not then add antenna lead... if
not ... add..etc.. ). The only other change in my environment is that the
weather is raining and the antenna routes through a pear tree. So it's
possible the wet foliage is contributing. If that's the case then the tree
comes down. 

I'm expecting that it's something added/connected to the TV. Powerline
filters haven't had any effect. I just realized my station safety grounds
aren't connected because I'm still working on my Operating table hutch. Just
have the trim and staining to finish for that. I'm also planning to run a
dedicated power cable with heavier gauge wire to get a better ground at my
station. Based on the TON of responses I've gotten I'll be running a heavy
gauge THNN or similar from outside my station (where I'll add a ground rod)
up to an antenna switch for grounding and bonding all of it together with
the main ground on the other side of the house. I'm not sure how I'll NOT
end up with a ground loop in this configuration.

Main panel/ground is around 80' from the proposed shack ground rod. So the
Main panel ground will come in via the heavy power cable. The shack side
ground rod will bond to the heavy power cable ground. The antenna switch
ground will run along the roof and down the side of the house to the shack
ground rod. All internal shack equipment will be grounded via a heavy copper
bus plate to the power cable ground. So the coax will end up being grounded
in the shack AND via the antenna switch ground. From all of the reading the
antenna switch ground is for lightning to have a lower impedance to ground
OUTSIDE the house instead of through my gear/power system.

It will be a bit to get this done as I'm having to replace antenna switches
lost during a relocation. I have the antenna control boxes for the ameritron
RCS8 and 4. Apparently I can't just buy the switch without the controlbox.
Jer

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Gene Gabry
Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2015 9:25 AM
To: 'elecraft'
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3S Proper Grounding

Good information David. I also Have a 80m OCF
http://www.slickpic.com/users/GeneGabry/albums/N9TFHamStationPhotos/?wallpap
er
<http://www.slickpic.com/users/GeneGabry/albums/N9TFHamStationPhotos/?wallpa
per&viewer#8644290> &viewer#8644290

and choosing the correct balun and RF choke is paramount. I went with the
(W2FMI design) Com-BAL-41130ET 4:1 current balun. A bit pricy at $100.00,
but worth every buck. I also added a 10 turn RF choke at the feed point.
Absolutely no RF back to the shack on any of the 7 bands it is resonate on.
Only running 100 watts, but antenna is low hanging at 35' with only about
50' of coax feeding from shack. 

73 Gene N9TF

K3S 10057

>I think we are drifting off topic, my apologies, but if you are 
>considering
an ocf dipole you can only prevent common mode currents by use of a double
>wound balun, ie 2 separately made chokes connected together as a 4:1.  
>A
single core version does not properly cancel the common mode current that
>results in unwanted radiation from your coax feeder and can make your
equipment live to rf.

> A huge amount of work has been done on this subject by DJ0IP and I 
> suggest
you look at his site

> <http://www.dj0ip.de/balun-stuff/> http://www.dj0ip.de/balun-stuff/ is 
> a
good place to start.

>The proof of the pudding is in the eating and I have not seen anyone do
real world measurements like he has on real aerials.  

>David

>G3UNA

> 

>     On 30 September 2015 at 20:51 Jerry Moore <
<mailto:jermo at carolinaheli.com> jermo at carolinaheli.com> wrote:

> 

> 

>     What I don't understand is my previous radio didn't affect the TV

> as far as I know (xyl never complained) so it has me perplexed because

> the radio shouldn't matter. As far as the buckmaster ocf, it uses a

> current transformer (auto-transformer )to balance the antenna and 
> match
the impedance.

>     Jer

> 

>     On September 28, 2015 1:37:16 PM EDT, Jim Brown

> < <mailto:jim at audiosystemsgroup.com> jim at audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:

>     >On Mon,9/28/2015 9:35 AM, dw wrote:

>     >> If a tuner is located at the rig-side of the coax, and the coax 
> is
at

>     >> high SWR, it could possibly be a cause for coax radiation.

>     >

>     >It doesn't work that way.

>     >

>     >Radiation from coax is the result of IMBALANCE in the antenna. A

>     >ferrite

>     >common mode choke at the feedpoint can fix that.

>     >

>     >73, Jim K9YC

>     >______________________________________________________________

>     >Elecraft mailing list

>     >Home:  <http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft>
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

>     >Help:  <http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm>
http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm

>     >Post:  <mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net

>     >

>     >This list hosted by:  <http://www.qsl.net> http://www.qsl.net

>     >Please help support this email list:
<http://www.qsl.net/donate.html> http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

>     >Message delivered to  <mailto:jermo at carolinaheli.com>
jermo at carolinaheli.com

> 

>     --

>     Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

>     ______________________________________________________________

>     Elecraft mailing list

>     Home:  <http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft>
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

>     Help:  <http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm>
http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm

>     Post:  <mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net

> 

>     This list hosted by:  <http://www.qsl.net> http://www.qsl.net

>     Please help support this email list:  
> <http://www.qsl.net/donate.html>
http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

>     Message delivered to  <mailto:d.cutter at ntlworld.com>
d.cutter at ntlworld.com

> 

______________________________________________________________

Elecraft mailing list

Home:  <http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft>
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft

Help:  <http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm> http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm

Post:  <mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net> mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by:  <http://www.qsl.net> http://www.qsl.net

Please help support this email list:  <http://www.qsl.net/donate.html>
http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to
<mailto:n9tf at comcast.net> n9tf at comcast.net

______________________________________________________________
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 Message
delivered to jermo at carolinaheli.com