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Fuel tanks and SSB counterpoise.
In article ,
(john s.) wrote:
Glenn Ashmore wrote in message
news:JRxob.119973$sp2.25191@lakeread04...
In the process of laying up the hull I incorporated a couple hundred sq.
ft of bronze bug screen to serve as a counterpoise. In addition two
runs of 2" copper foil run down the center of the hull to the keel area.
Capacitors between the foil and the keel bolts isolate any DC from
getting back into the counterpoise. That is probably enough but as I am
installing two aluminum tanks, I wonder how kosher it would be to tie
them into the counterpoise with more capacitors.
It would add another 14 sq ft of coupling area but would it be
introducing other problems?
Glenn, I think you are overdoing it....I just have a copper strap from
the ground of the antenna tuner to one keel bolt (external lead keel)
and when I tested the syste,after installation (in New York), I got a
55 report from a ham in NW Spain. The only time Herb (Southbound II)
did not hear me loud and clear was because my copper strrap had become
corroded/
john N2ZOA/MM
Getting one or two reports of "5 by 5" doesn't mean anything other than
the band was open, on that frequency, at that time. Years ago this type
of reporting was used to sell SSB Radio's all the time. When just
finishing up an install, the tech would call KMI, WOO, or WOM on 12 Megs
(or whatever band was open at thte time) and get a "Radio Check" for the
customer. The band was open and a .5 watt radio connected to a "Wet
Noodle" would do as well. BIG SCAM, means nothing.
What one really needs is a REAL, across the bands Field Insensity
Reading, and Grounding Network Impedance vs Frequency Plot. These are
not as important for a Metal Hulled Vessel as the grounding system is
usually the hull and is mostly suffienct in and of itself. On wood or
plastic hulls where RF Grounding is usually the limiting factor on
antenna efficency, it is the RF Ground that is Most Impartant, and
the lower the frequency the more ground it takes to support the antenna
system.
Bruce in alaska
--
Bruce (semiretired powderman & exFCC Field Inspector for Southeastern Alaska)
add a 2 before @
Bruce Gordon * Debora Gordon R.N. Bruce's Trading Post
P.O. Box EXI Excursion Inlet South
Juneau, Alaska 99850 Excursion Inlet, Alaska 99850
www.btpost.net www.99850.net
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