Is it possible to combine two areas that contain foil or mesh, by using marine grade wire? I have a couple of places on my 380 which would be great for laying mesh/foil, but there isn't a good way or running the foil between the areas, but by using a wire the run between the 2 areas could be made easily... Thanks Brian
SSB ground question
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Should Work
You are just creating a ground plane for your hf antenna. The better the ground, the more constant the impedance will be across the spectrum that you are using. Some of the new antenna tuners will match just about any combination.
You are just creating a ground plane for your hf antenna. The better the ground, the more constant the impedance will be across the spectrum that you are using. Some of the new antenna tuners will match just about any combination.
text book answer is to use a mesh ...
grounding strap ... RF travels on the surface of the conductors and as such the more surface the better it conducts ... so that is why we use the mesh conductors ... say as opposed to a number 12 solid or twisted wire. Or on new boats you will see a copper conductor about 2 inches wide and maybe a 1/16 in. thick to handle the surface requirements. this strap can be bent to fit through holes but not mashed together. Vic "Seven" K1IVX
grounding strap ... RF travels on the surface of the conductors and as such the more surface the better it conducts ... so that is why we use the mesh conductors ... say as opposed to a number 12 solid or twisted wire. Or on new boats you will see a copper conductor about 2 inches wide and maybe a 1/16 in. thick to handle the surface requirements. this strap can be bent to fit through holes but not mashed together. Vic "Seven" K1IVX
Thanks
I found the info on the Icom site... for what it is worth, they say that wire should not be used in my situation because certain frequencies will be dissipated in the round wire portion or someting to that affect... but.. at least I now know not to use it
Brian
I found the info on the Icom site... for what it is worth, they say that wire should not be used in my situation because certain frequencies will be dissipated in the round wire portion or someting to that affect... but.. at least I now know not to use it
Brian4" foil best...
Brian, Vic's got it right about surface conduction. Defender offered the best price on 4" copper foil last time I looked, altho' some folks like to cut copper flashing from the local Home Depot (use gloves!). It sounds like you're stuck with a molded liner that's preventing access from one cabin to the next. The foil should be run below the waterline and adjacent to hull (capacitive linking) so running it against a liner that isn't butted up against the hull isn't optimum. There's nothing to say you can't cut a slot in the bulkhead between cabins (if access permits that) and there's nothing that says a foil run back & forth, several times, in one cabin but below the waterline, is any less effective than a run of the same length that keeps going in one direction. Your looking for max surface area linked to the water. The best advice I've heard on all this is to start by doing what's recommended but only to the extent that it's relatively easy to comply with. Then see what results you get. (You do have a SWR Meter, right?) If you have a poor SWR then more effort is required; if not, whoopee! Jack
Brian, Vic's got it right about surface conduction. Defender offered the best price on 4" copper foil last time I looked, altho' some folks like to cut copper flashing from the local Home Depot (use gloves!). It sounds like you're stuck with a molded liner that's preventing access from one cabin to the next. The foil should be run below the waterline and adjacent to hull (capacitive linking) so running it against a liner that isn't butted up against the hull isn't optimum. There's nothing to say you can't cut a slot in the bulkhead between cabins (if access permits that) and there's nothing that says a foil run back & forth, several times, in one cabin but below the waterline, is any less effective than a run of the same length that keeps going in one direction. Your looking for max surface area linked to the water. The best advice I've heard on all this is to start by doing what's recommended but only to the extent that it's relatively easy to comply with. Then see what results you get. (You do have a SWR Meter, right?) If you have a poor SWR then more effort is required; if not, whoopee! Jack
braid turns green *cry
Salt water will turn braid green after a while. This will cause loss of electrical connection and possible weakening of the braid after long periods. Copper strap is commonly used, and it will also oxidize, but once soldered, will last a longer time.
Salt water will turn braid green after a while. This will cause loss of electrical connection and possible weakening of the braid after long periods. Copper strap is commonly used, and it will also oxidize, but once soldered, will last a longer time.
more things to consider
If you watch your swr meter now and later, you will know when the electrolysis is destroying your ground system. Transmitter will be difficult to tune. Also, when you are unable to raise athe folks you usually can chat with and you start to hear of your signal being heard in faraway places (farther away places than before) you will know that your ground system is gone and you are going all skywave: no ground system to keep the signal polarized and the radio waves you can transmit go straight up into the sky and throughthe Kenley-Heaviside layer of the ionisphere instead of bouncing off of it. joe
If you watch your swr meter now and later, you will know when the electrolysis is destroying your ground system. Transmitter will be difficult to tune. Also, when you are unable to raise athe folks you usually can chat with and you start to hear of your signal being heard in faraway places (farther away places than before) you will know that your ground system is gone and you are going all skywave: no ground system to keep the signal polarized and the radio waves you can transmit go straight up into the sky and throughthe Kenley-Heaviside layer of the ionisphere instead of bouncing off of it. joe
grounding plate
I have installed several and have always installed ground plates outside the hull. Just don't paint them and they will be fine. I clean them every two years at haul and I have never had a problem. I used the foil tape between the the thru-hull and the unit. I lay the foil tape flat against the hull and west system the foil to the hull, and because of the water tight bond I have never had any deteration of the foil tape after many years. A little extra work, but worth it in the long run. Like dad said, " if you don't have time to do it right the first time you will most likely never have time to do it right." Dad has gotten smarter over the years. Don Rockport, Tx.
I have installed several and have always installed ground plates outside the hull. Just don't paint them and they will be fine. I clean them every two years at haul and I have never had a problem. I used the foil tape between the the thru-hull and the unit. I lay the foil tape flat against the hull and west system the foil to the hull, and because of the water tight bond I have never had any deteration of the foil tape after many years. A little extra work, but worth it in the long run. Like dad said, " if you don't have time to do it right the first time you will most likely never have time to do it right." Dad has gotten smarter over the years. Don Rockport, Tx.
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