[Hallicrafters] RE: Antennas and static charge

[Roger Halstead (K8RI)]

This is something where the old boat anchors were far more robust than 
today's solid state rigs.

A lightening strike over a mile away can induce as much as a 1000 volts per 
meter in an undrounded wire.  Snow static can produce hundreds of thousands 
of volts of static electricity as can regualr precipitation if the static is 
not bled off.

Typically those old rigs had, I believe a 2 mh choke from the chnter 
connector of the coax to ground, so with the rig chassis tied to ground the 
static presented no danger.  OTOH the induced voltage from a lightening 
strike a mile away could fry that choke.

I've seen receivers that used a neon light across the antenna connection as 
well.  A little static would ionize the gas, the light would conduct and the 
static was effectively bled off.

OTOH I've had rigs where you could hear the static building up with a series 
of "pops" that would become more rapid until I'd hear a loud snap. Then the 
process would start all over again.

A disconnected, but ungrounded coax laying on the floor,  from an ungrounded 
antenna is dangerous.

Roger Halstead (K8RI, EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
N833R, World's Oldest Debonair (S# CD-2)
www.rogerhalstead.com