[Elecraft] Unplugging the radio to protect it

[Edward R Cole]

I do not unplug anything when not in use.  Never had a failure from 
doing that.  I do live in a virtually lightning free environment but 
static buildup in dry winter winds can happen.  This is why having a 
shorted RFC across antenna lead -in or back/back diodes on RX input 
are used.  System is all grounded to central point going to outside 
ground rod and one tower has a ground rod for HF radial system (and tower).

Many years ago I was comm officer on a BLM Wildfire sitting at Base 
Camp at 2400-foot on a mountain ridge in AK when a strong wind blew 
up in advance of a storm.  We used VHF MOT HT's connected to whips 
mounted on 30-foot fiberglass telescoping masts (for quick 
deployment).  Operators complained of getting shocks from the radios 
which I dismissed until I tried picking up one sitting on the tundra 
and drew a 4-inch arc - ouch!  Radios totally survived this.  We left 
the radios lying on the ground until the winds subsided.

I own nothing made by Kenwood.  Guess now I never will.  Mostly 
Elecraft at the present with some older MOT and Yaesu VHF stuff.  In 
my opinion Kenwood long ago lost out to both Icom and Yaesu...and, of 
course, Elecraft.  I wonder if a letter to the CEO of Kenwood would 
have any effect.  Otherwise write this up in every ham newsletter and 
on-line review.  That works for Consumers Report.

At work, I specified models when buying and we converted all to MOT 
over from some GE/Ericson and a few Sinclair.  Reputation for quality 
and backing the customer.

73, Ed - KL7UW
http://www.kl7uw.com
     "Kits made by KL7UW"
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