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Old January 2nd 06, 06:45 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.antenna
 
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Default 2nd Floor grounding

Forget about balun's and other widgetry!

And replace it with snake oil? Why?

Get a virtual earth! They are easy to build for all ham bands!


He's probably fairly young , has his health, etc. The last
thing he needs is a "virtual earth" on the 2nd floor.

It's basically a phasing unit for the earth connection which can null the
voltage on the earth at the RF Rig!


It's basically a bandaid device to cure problems from using
poorly designed antenna systems. .

If you don't want to build one, MFJ sells one!


I don't doubt that. They sell about everything else...

Seriously, if someone is on a 2nd floor, or even a ground
floor, there is no need for rf grounding in the shack at all.
All he needs to do is run complete antennas and there
is *no* need for any rf grounding. Sure, he needs safety
grounding for some gear, but that is taken care of by a
grounded electrical cord. RF grounding should always
be under an antenna that requires it. Not at a shack,
unless the antenna is fed from the shack. And that is
a bad way to live in general. All he needs to do is run
any complete antenna, such as a coax fed dipole, or
ladder line fed dipole, or a vertical that has it's own rf
ground under it. Adding a shack ground to any of these
scenarios is a waste of time. It also usually causes
more problems, than it hopes to cure...
If he's feeding any of those antennas with coax, which
I recommend for ease of use in any location, a balun
is his best friend, not widgetry.
I'm on the ground floor, and I use no RF ground
in the shack. Have no need for one. Grounding has
enough "wives tales" , etc, attached to it, to add
more snake oil, or bandaid solutions.
Lightning grounding is a whole nother story, but it also
belongs outside, and not in the shack so doesn't really
apply to his case of being on a 2nd floor and worrying
about a rf ground.
MK