On Wed, 3 Feb 2010 18:59:20 +0000, KE5WZY
wrote:


Greetings! We are starting a new club: LARC (Library Amateur Radio Club)
of Kingfisher Oklahoma. I managed to scounge three ten foot sections
from the local phone company an antenna tower base, mid-section and a
top section that comes to a point at the top with a hollow pipe. Before
I go through all the trouble to locate the antenna, probably against the
side of the library and anchor it to the roof, I need to know if anyone
has ever had any trouble with a buiding transformer as a potential
cause for RF interference. The transformer sits on the ground near the
trash recepticle. The ideal location for keeping the tower from
becoming obvious, is about 10 foot from the transformer. Keeping in
mind the antenna will be mounted at the top of the 30 foot tower, has
anyone ever had experience with putting antennas so close to the power
transformer?

Hi OM,

Transformers further away have certainly lead to grief. It is
unlikely even at what you consider to be a short distance that you are
going to inject any problem into it during transmission. If you are
worried about that, then you really have to pay attention to the power
distribution inside the building that would be far closer.

If you are worried about noise being injected into your system by the
transformer; then survey the area around it with a portable HF
receiver (or VHF or UHF depending upon your band of operation will
be). Very simple.

This doesn't end it, however. The transformer can inject problems
into your system by your not practicing good grounding methods.
(Actually, the transformer will probably be benign in face of poor
ground handling that is beyond its role and responsibility.) That
alone is deserving of at least a string of follow up postings to this
thread.

Go to one of those library shelves that has a copy of the electrical
code and read it about grounding.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC