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Old November 3rd 06, 04:17 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.antenna,rec.radio.amateur.policy
John, N9JG John, N9JG is offline
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Aug 2006
Posts: 83
Default RF gets into computer

To iterate what I have reported earlier. The problem was SOLVED,
for the bands I operate on, when I :
1) Ran #12 wire through the 2nd-story window sill and down to a 10 feet long
copper clad ground rod. The length of the wire run is about 15 feet. (Let me
worry about satisfying the "code" requirement of bonding this ground rod to
the rod at the power service entrance.)

2) Installed an Amidon FT-240-77 ferrite toroid as a common-mode choke (11
turns) in the Orion's DC power supply cable and located about 18" from the
Orion. http://tinyurl.com/qnzs3 The cable run between the power supply
and the Orion is somewhat lengthy because the Orion is connected to an
MFJ-1129 multi-outlet strip.

I thank you for your support.
John, N9JG

"Denny" wrote in message
ups.com...
To reiterate what has been said by others...
There are two issues here for your elevated ham shack... RF ground and
AC/DC ground... Not the same critters and in your case one will not do
both jobs...

First, for life and limb you need an AC/DC connection to the service
panel, i.e. local electrical ground... Length of this does not
matter... Second you need an earth ground as close to the rig as you
can get... As I read this you have dropped wire out the window to a
ground stake... Excellent, now get busy and continue on with that
ground wire also along the edge of the house to the electrical service
panel ground...

Now for the really important stuff, i.e. working DX, you need an RF
ground... In your case I suggest that you use a quarter wave length
insulated wire for each band you operate, attached to the common ground
behind the rig... Hang or fan them out the window, run them through the
ceiling to the attic, run them around the walls of the room, run them
down the hall behind the baseboard, just whatever you can do to spread
them out as long as possible .... Grounding a quarter wave radial at
the far end is not a good idea... Tape the end so no one can touch the
bare wire and leave it... That should cool off your RF problems...

GL denny / k8do