Very true Tom, I am using on 20 meters a Telrex 20M546. The Telrex uses a T network. The T bars are very close to the driven element and longer than normal. They use no series capacitors.
Or should I say condensers as they were called when Mike Arcelino designed the Telrexs. 73 Price W0RI The only noise caused by an element charging is a "pop" or arc as the element moves closer to air potential, until the voltage is high enough to break down some insulation path to earth. This is a huge problem with T network antenna tuners that feed big antennas without a ground leak path. The antenna trickle charges the output capacitor (with microamperes of current) until the cap flashes over. This sudden rings the tank with high voltage, and that blows the diodes in the directional coupler detector. We certainly do not want things to charge to the point something flashes over and is damaged, but a ground leak does not reduce p-static (corona) noise. A ground leak does not reduce the chance of a lightning strike, either. Neither do those tower whiskers (NASA has extensively tested that). 73 Tom _______________________________________________ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com _______________________________________________ Topband reflector - topband@contesting.com
