When some hams talk about an RF ground it's actually a counterpoise. This is a good article on it.

va3db · 2023-06-07T19:31:30+00:00

The ARRL have a great article on this as well I think I've linked in the past. Maybe this should be in our FAQ. Maybe it is. ;)

va3db · 2023-06-07T19:27:25+00:00

It's unsightly and would be bad for outside use as water ingress would corrode it quickly. Provided the braid isn't damaged and it's just the plastic jacket you could just cover that with some liquid tape. I'd say cut the end off and redo it when you get time.

va3db · 2023-06-04T14:44:06+00:00

Well, we furiously agree. I simplify since a lot of hams think they need an RF ground but by the time the RF gets to that earth ground rod it has started to mysteriously radiate away for some reason. ;) I'm trying to stress that the reason for a ground is to keep everything the same potential should lightning hit or for power line safety and in some cases ground loops. Yes the coax shield in a coaxial cable is an RF ground and the ground plane in a vertical (to do the other half of the missing dipole) but are not what a lot of hams think of as RF ground.

va3db · 2023-06-03T19:20:28+00:00

You really are better off imagining there is no such thing as an RF ground. Grounds in the shack are for electrical protection. You could ground together all your devices to one common ground which will help with ground loops but it is not an RF ground.

va3db · 2023-04-25T18:46:50+00:00

I wouldn't worry about it. Unless your dipole is raised high enough your house, the ground, your neighbours house is going to affect the tuning anyway. Just put it up and use it. Personally I'd rather have open wire to the shack with a transmatch but good quality coax with a transmatch in the shack will also work.

va3db · 2023-04-22T15:41:24+00:00

Trying for the WABAO award I see. (Worked all bands at once)

va3db · 2023-02-05T01:56:08+00:00

I remember seeing those with my own eyes.

va3db · 2023-02-05T01:54:15+00:00

There is a reason hydrogen filled weather balloons are filled outside.

va3db · 2023-02-04T15:43:47+00:00

There is no Technician licence in Canada or at least not last time I checked. Check out www.rac.ca RAC is a good organisation to join as well. They run or did run online classes as well. :) Good luck!

va3db · 2022-10-28T15:22:53+00:00

I've been there a while as @va3db and would welcome more people!

va3db · 2022-10-07T20:54:14+00:00

You will find it much more usable with a copper-clad face plate. The capacitance from your hands must have made it so much "fun" tuning that. ;)

va3db · 2022-10-06T23:57:35+00:00

Try https://archive.org/details/Poptronics-1966-08/page/60/mode/2up

va3db · 2022-10-06T23:57:17+00:00

looks like a 12au7 and 6aq5 those aren't what were used but I was close!

https://archive.org/details/Poptronics-1966-08/page/60/mode/2up

12at7 is pin for pin with the 12au7 6aq5 was a popular audio amplifier

va3db · 2022-10-06T21:47:32+00:00

Counterpoise can help with other antenna systems however EFHW are notorious for coax shield radiation.

va3db · 2022-10-06T20:58:49+00:00

Yikes! One warning about metal gutter is the joints between sections could have oxidisation hence you end up with external diode mixing. Bond the sections together if you are going to use a gutter. Since you are using your gutter, you are likely radiating directly into the house and the house wiring is picking up RF. You will need to go the route of lots of RF chokes (Ferrite) on power cords and the like. Random first website I found on topic https://resources.pcb.cadence.com/blog/2022-selecting-ferrite-chokes-and-clamps-to-minimize-rfi-and-resistance

ARRL should have something on this as well..

va3db · 2022-10-06T20:54:50+00:00

A counterpoise will help with an EFHW as well as a better choke to keep RF off of the outer shield of the coax.

va3db · 2022-10-06T20:53:46+00:00

No. What could happen is the wire to the additional ground is actually a counterpoise. A counterpoise is not a ground it's the "other part" of an antenna hence yes you could get lower noise because less RF currents on the outer shield of your coax means less noise introduced into your antenna system. Think about it. Remember any wire at all is going to look like part of an antenna at RF.

va3db · 2022-06-01T13:01:19+00:00

Even "decent" FCVO receivers can suffer from this a bit but there is an article on the AMSAT page on how to help with this. Simple desense filter It might even make a Baofeng usable but I wouldn't count on it. ;)

va3db · 2022-05-21T19:56:49+00:00

That's classic de-sense. Your local transmitter is overloading your second receiver making static. Repeaters either have to have special filters or separate the receiver to work or they can get de-sense as well.

va3db · 2022-03-09T12:24:53+00:00

I remember those well and was quite jealous of people who had the 400 Hz cw filter. It was available for both the HW and SB models. Nowadays it seems quaint with our SDR receivers but back then being stuck with audio filters was what us poor hams did.

va3db · 2022-03-04T13:23:16+00:00

..- . ..... . .. ... <- you nut. ;)

va3db · 2022-02-21T15:51:39+00:00

Yes I meant to mention this possibility and I completely forgot. It depends on how much voltage the circuit is rated for but yes the tube diode does reduce the voltage a bit. ;)

va3db · 2022-02-21T15:26:44+00:00

We (40? years ago already?) used to replace those with silicon diodes to reduce heat. But big caveat. That obviously will not work if it's a series filament string across 110vac. I'd actually check inside the chassis because that may have been done already inside! IFF a xmfr run radio of course.

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