[Elecraft] Mobile Grounding for KX3 and KXPA100

[Jim Brown]

On 6/11/2018 2:09 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. 

Let's use the right words for the right things we do.  BONDING is what 
we are doing when we may an electrically short and mechanically robust 
connection between equipment and between all of the grounds in our 
home.  GROUNDING is a connection to Mother Earth. It's purpose is 
Lightning Protection.

> When I use my KX3 by itself mobile I have never grounded it and never 
> had an issue. 

In general, radio equipment should be bonded together, but should NOT be 
bonded to the vehicle. You MUST run a pair of big wires direct from the 
battery to the rig. NEVER use the vehicle chassis as a path for return 
DC current -- that's a recipe for disaster!  The only connection to the 
vehicle should usually be the coax shield to the best metal you can find 
at the antenna, because the metal in the car body acts as the 
counterpoise for your antenna. In other words, it is PART OF the 
antenna!  Make sure that whatever metal you bond to actually goes to the 
rest of the car's chassis. That's often not easy -- even when there are 
metal to metal mechanical connections, they're often insulated from each 
other by paint!

> 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? 

73, Jim K9YC