[HCARC] RF Grounding Counterpoise

[Gary and Arlene Johnson]

Thanks for the response - you do understand the problems of a newbie.  I am surprised Kerry hasn't responded, either he is out of town or hasn't been able to get up off of the floor he is laughing so hard.

Gary J
N5"BAA"
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: ALoneStarYank at aol.com 
  To: qltfnish at omniglobal.net 
  Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2012 9:35 PM
  Subject: Re: [HCARC] RF Grounding Counterpoise


  In the 1980's , the ARRL had among it's many chapters in their "Antenna Handbook"  one about making a balun using a length of coax cable with the exterior covering stripped off about 18 inches exposing the copper shield. This exposed area was inserted in a length of PVC tubing and the void was stuffed with steel wool with the ends of the tubing capped. They said the extra, exposed area would create a current choke so RF would not travel down the shield and in to your radio room. I almost fell off my chair when I read the article! I could not believe what a stupid concept and during my yearly trips to the ARRL, I told them how stupid it was and that it would cause more problems than it was worth.   Sure enough, when people started using this bs the condensation in the tube caused the steel wool to rust, the contact of the steel wool with the coax braid became intermittent, harmonics were created, etc. They published no "oops - we made a mistake" but the next year it was no longer published in their handbook.

  By the way, even "oldsters" have clung to inaccurate findings.
  I can't tell you how many new antennas that people buy thanks to outlandish claims by the manufacturers and by people who've bought them and don't know any better. One year I was asked to join a group of hams who went up to Tarpley and operated "Field Day" style. Out came these new antennas that they swore by. Finally I had enough and to prove that they were junk we did a side-by-side comparison with a standard dipole (40 meters) that I cut and made on the spot. Their coaxal loop antenna cost over 200 bucks and my dipole about 10. My dipole was able to work stations that they couldn't even hear with their antenna.  

  My biggest anti-antenna flame award goes to the B&W MultiBand Folded Antenna.  It costs about $650 and is a piece of junk. They say it works on every band. It does. but at what price RF wise? They use what they call "balancing resistors" which only absorb energy at frequencies to make the transmitter think the load is proper. BUT, by doing a test using a field strength meter, you'll see that it works ok on 15 meters but by the time you transmit on 40 meters it has absorbed  50% of your power. At 80 meters the power out is only about 12%!   Do you want to transmit with only 12 watts from your 100 watt radio??  (By the way, it blows it's balancing resistors when you use it for extended periods of time using high duty-cycle such as on RTTY.) 

   In 2008, there was a state wide hurricane communications drill. I was about 60 miles south of San Antonio. I was using a standard NVIS dipole antenna since we were all on 40 meters. So was Dallas, Austin, and Houston, etc Red Cross.  San Antonio Red Cross was using one of these B&W Antennas. I could barely hear them even though they were the closest station to me. The other stations communicated with me fine, but they couldn't hear San Antonio Red Cross.   This antenna was recommended to them by ARES members who ignored my warnings. This antenna is still used by AARO at their Field Days. Ugh! 

  Bob  W2IK



  In a message dated 10/6/2012 6:20:23 P.M. Central Daylight Time, qltfnish at omniglobal.net writes:
    Interestingly this comes from Hamuniverse where other articles have been recommended to me originated.  One of the hardest parts of being a NEWBIE with all of the internet to "answer your questions" is separating the wheat from the chaff.  Unfortunately I cannot be like my sheep or chickens and just eat the wheat and the chaff and have the insides do the separating if you catch my drift.  One posting on Hamuniverse is a good one, another is "pure sheep separates" - the trick is deciding which is which.  I do not envy new Hams who don't have a knowledgeable club and Reflector to fall back one.

    Unfortunately it's not just Amateur Radio that has a lot of posted drivel these days.  Our Government seems to be pretty good at it too.

    Thanks for the response - sure am glad I didn't go out and buy a bunch of wire.  :-)  And there are many better things to do with the wire I have.

    Gary J
    N5"BAA"
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: ALoneStarYank at aol.com 
      To: qltfnish at omniglobal.net ; hcarc at mailman.qth.net 
      Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2012 3:44 PM
      Subject: Re: [HCARC] RF Grounding Counterpoise


      I can not believe all the drivel that is posted about amateur radio on the internet.  (and that people believe)  W2IK

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