So the landlord doesn't want you to dig? Is he afraid you will strike that
silver vein in the back yard?
Looks like you got a lot of responses and as you can see, opinions vary
greatly on the subject. I guess the bottom line is that what works for
one guy doesn't work for another.
If you really think it's RF getting into the unit, you can try grounding the
TW-1 to the ground lug on your rig or tuner. While this could give you a
ground loop and make things worse, it just might tame it. just back out one
of the case screws on the TW-1 and wrap a piece of wire around and
retighten, then ground the other end to the rig. If it solves the
problem, great, if not, it just took 30 seconds and 2 feet of wire.
I was just going through something similar tonight, where I was getting some
junk in the headphones that I traced to the old Rigblaster pc/rig interface
at power levels over 700 watts. Grounding the unit seems to have solved
the problem.
73, Steve KW3A
----- Original Message -----
From: "tom behler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 9:54 PM
Subject: Re: need good ideas for RF ground
> Pat:
>
> I agree on the ground rod thing, but, as I said in an earlier e-mail,
> our landlord is reluctant to let us dig on the property, and I am worried
> that I might hit something when putting in the rod.
>
> May try it, though, if I can figure out how best to accomplish it.
>
> 73 from Tom Behlerr: KB8TYJ
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pat Byrne" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 4:19 PM
> Subject: Re: need good ideas for RF ground
>
>
> Hi Tom,
> I've been watching this thread and have an idea or two. I guess I am
> old school and want a ground. I am currently grounded to the rod
> outside of the house - used by the electric and phone companies. No
> idea how long it is. I have a ten footer that will be driven just
> where my various cables enter the house, being closer than the
> current rod and of known length. And I'll connect the two existing
> rods together. Also and perhaps not until spring I will run wire out
> along the fence that encloses our back yard perhaps using a lawn
> edging tool to open a slot to drop the wire in and then pressing the
> ground back down over the wire. Soon you'd never know that the
> ground had been cut. And maybe I'd continue that wire around the
> house, away from the back yard. My thought is that the more rods and
> radials you can get in place, the better you'll be. A long time ago
> when a lot of us local guys were very young and more ambitious than
> now, we worked 160 and several of us spent the summer adding rods and
> radials and noting that our ground wave signals kept improving. Of
> course there is a point where the difference becomes academic and
> theoretical but a ground will make a difference in how you get out
> and how much or little RF hangs out in the shack.
> Good luck and find some young guy you can give ten bucks to to sink
> that damned rod!!!
> Pat, K9JAu At 10:59 AM 9/30/2009, you wrote:
>>Hi, folks.
>>
>>I would like any suggestions anyone might have for a reasonably good RF
>>ground in my ham room at the new Colorado home QTH. The room is on the
>>main
>>floor of the ranch house, but I don't know of a nearby water pipe or
>>something like that to hook onto. We have forced hot air heat, bbut I
>>don't
>>know if the nearest heating vent has something I could latch onto either.
>>When the guys from the local club put up my DXCC and my Diamond X200A, we
>>discussed the grounding issue, and they really downplayed the need for an
>>earth or RF ground out here. They said the soil is just not conducive to
>>it, and since it's always so dry, it's really hard to find true ground.
>>So,
>>at this point, I am groundless.
>>
>>I have two reasons for getting more serious about an RF ground in addition
>>to protecting against possible lightning strikes:
>>
>>1. I have discovered that I might have some RF getting back into my TW1
>>talking watt meter, since when I take SWR and power readings at 100 watts
>>with my TS480, the meter sometimes acts a bit flaky when I adjust the
>>volume
>>control. Doesn't do it normally, just when 100 watts are applied.
>>
>>
>>and
>>
>>2. I have a lot of details to work out yet, but I'm starting to think
>>about
>>purchasing a small amp for my HF set-up--possibly something like a Heath
>>Kit
>>SB200. I would think that a good RF ground would be essential when using
>>an
>>amp like that.
>>Would appreciate any suggestions you guys have, and thanks as always for
>>your help.
>>
>>73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ, Louisville, CO
>
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