In article ,
Michael Porter wrote:

Bruce in Alaska wrote:



Hmmmm, You say you have an Alumiunum Hull, that you would like to use
as an RF Ground for your MF/HF AutoAntenna Tuner, at least I assume it
is an Autotuner. Why are you using Copper foil in the First Place?
Just how far is the AutoTuner mounted from the Aluminum that you would
be using for RF Ground? I suspect that maybe your Autotuner is mounted
ON the aluminum, that is part of the Hull, or at least welded to the
the Hull, in which case a two inch hunk of #12 Copper, or if you prefer
Aluminum, Wire, from the Ground Stud, on the Autotuner, to one of the
Mounting bolts of the Autotuner, will be MORE than enough to do the job.
Now make sure that you Antenna Lead coming of the Antenna Port of your
Autotuner, is NOT tyewrapped to ANY portion of the Aluminum Hull, or
any portion of anything that is Welded or Grounded to the aluminum
Hull. Keep you antenna at least 6 Inches away from ANY Grounded
Surface, for its entire run, to the far end of the Antenna System

There....that should work just "Jim Dandy", or Spiffy as the case may be

Bruce in alaska

That seems to me to call for a 12" dia hole in the pilothouse top and
a corresponding maybe 14" dia feed-through. Is that the case? Most
commercially available seem to be about 3-4" dia max.

Thanks,
Michael Porter

Michael Porter Marine Design
mporter at mp-marine dot com
www.mp-marine.com

Only if you mount the Sealed Autotuner inside the Wheelhouse, rather
than outside on the Top, or Rear Wall under the DripLip. If 4" is the
biggest FeedTru you have ever seen, then you don't get out much, and see
commercial Marine MF/HF Installations aboard SOLAS Required Vessels.
The "Real Question" in most of these non-commercial Installations has
always been, "Do you want it to WORK, or do you want it to LOOK Good?".
Most say "Work", but a few say "LOOK Good", then at that point, you get
what you pay for.......

Bruce in alaska
--
add a 2 before @