On 6/11/2018 2:09 PM, Smedes, Tad - Comcast wrote:
I am planning to use my KX3 and KXPA100 powered by Budipole PowerMini and LiFEPO4 battery for field day this year and have a question about grounding. When I am using them both at the home station they are grounded to each other and every other piece of equipment in the shack using a ground bar and copper straps.
Let's use the right words for the right things we do. BONDING is what we are doing when we may an electrically short and mechanically robust connection between equipment and between all of the grounds in our home. GROUNDING is a connection to Mother Earth. It's purpose is Lightning Protection.
When I use my KX3 by itself mobile I have never grounded it and never had an issue.
In general, radio equipment should be bonded together, but should NOT be bonded to the vehicle. You MUST run a pair of big wires direct from the battery to the rig. NEVER use the vehicle chassis as a path for return DC current -- that's a recipe for disaster! The only connection to the vehicle should usually be the coax shield to the best metal you can find at the antenna, because the metal in the car body acts as the counterpoise for your antenna. In other words, it is PART OF the antenna! Make sure that whatever metal you bond to actually goes to the rest of the car's chassis. That's often not easy -- even when there are metal to metal mechanical connections, they're often insulated from each other by paint!
Is there anything special that I need to do do when I hook the KX3 to the KXPA100 while mobile, and what is it? and or what do the rest of you do when running mobile with a KX3 and KXPA100 for grounding?
73, Jim K9YC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
