[Elecraft] Mobile Grounding for KX3 and KXPA100

[Don Wilhelm]

Tad,

For Field Day, you may want to add a strap between the KX3 and the 
KXPA100 to reduce noise pickup on the cables between them.  If running 
on batteries, that should be sufficient.  If running on a generator, you 
COULD connect a heavy wire between the KXPA100 and the ground rod for 
the generator (do not drive a separate ground rod because it can cause 
an AC hazard).  As for lightning protection, the normal Field Day 
precaution that I know is to disconnect antennas and turn off the 
equipment when that is nearby lightning.

For your mobile installation, I don't think many mobile hams do any 
grounding.  If you feel you need it, ground to the vehicle with a strap.
A mobile station is "battery powered" and a ground is not normally needed.

Remember that a ground is only for AC safety and lightning protection, 
and normally demands that a connection to Mother Earth is needed and 
that any extra driver ground rods must all be connected wwith heavy wire 
to the Utility Entrance ground rod.
The only equivalent in a generator powered Field Day installation is a 
ground rod at the generator.  There is no equivalent for mobile operation.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 6/11/2018 5:09 PM, Smedes, Tad - Comcast wrote:
> I am planning to use my KX3 and KXPA100 powered by Budipole PowerMini 
> and LiFEPO4 battery for field day this year and have a question about 
> grounding.  When I am using them both at the home station they are 
> grounded to each other and every other piece of equipment in the shack 
> using a ground bar and copper straps.  When I use my KX3 by itself 
> mobile I have never grounded it and never had an issue.  Is there 
> anything special that I need to do do when I hook the KX3 to the KXPA100 
> while mobile, and what is it? and or what do the rest of you do when 
> running mobile with a KX3 and KXPA100 for grounding?
>