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Old April 18th 07, 01:38 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.homebrew
Roy Lewallen Roy Lewallen is offline
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,374
Default ? on neon light as static discharge device

Sorry, I disagree with many of the suggestions being made. Putting a
nonlinear device or devices like a zener or a series of diodes across
your antenna terminals can produce intermodulation among incoming
signals. These will appear at your receiver as hash and spurious signals
at various frequencies. When transmitting, they can create harmonics.

The advice I do go along with is to put a resistor or RF choke across
the terminals if static is a problem. Either will prevent it. You won't
be able to tell any difference between carbon, carbon film, and metal
film in just about any RF application -- any are just fine. Don't use a
wire wound resistor, however.

I don't see much sense in letting static build up to several tens of
volts, then have a neon bulb ignite to discharge it -- with a loud pop
you'll hear in your receiver -- down to a slightly lower level. A
resistor or RF choke will keep it at near zero. By all means, have fun
impressing your friends with blinking NE-2s, but use something else to
drain off the static.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL