The reference to ground comes from the knob and tube days and telegraph before that when a single wire was strung on poles and the return path was through the earth ground. Needless to say, that caused a lot of problems which were cured by running a return wire, but the safety ground is still needed to compensate for the resistance of the return wire (neutral) and prevent shock.. Ideally there should be very little current through the ground path. I believe the Brits use the term Ground for Neutral and Earth for the actual ground. Willis 'Cookie' Cooke, TDXS DX Chairman K5EWJ & Trustee N5BPS, USS Cavalla, USS Stewart
________________________________ From: Dale Putnam <daleput...@hotmail.com> To: Bill Turner <dezrat1...@wildblue.net>; "elecraft@mailman.qth.net" <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> Sent: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 3:04 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] 12 volt battery Ground is not necessarily dirt. Ground is what ever medium allows current flow in the return circuit, be it rf.. ac.. dc.. or spikes. However.. each type of current flow.. REQUIRES not only a ground.. but a different ground as in different capabilities, skin or surface flow, multipoint flow,very high current flow are some examples. A single ground, will not generally provide all that is needed. Yet, generally, many grounds eventually wind up in dirt. Have a great day, --... ...-- Dale - WC7S in Wy > Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2014 12:17:43 -0800 > From: dezrat1...@wildblue.net > To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] 12 volt battery > > ORIGINAL MESSAGE: (may be snipped) > > On 3/5/2014 11:42 AM, Dale Putnam wrote: > > The rf needs a ground.. yes... > > REPLY: > > I disagree. RF does not need to flow through dirt. Dirt is a poor > conductor for RF so why would you want to send it there? > > RF energy is expensive to generate. Keep it up in the air where it belongs. > > 73, Bill W6WRT > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
