prattsatsea
New Member
I am installing an SSB. Cannot source Copper foil for grounding and high voltage cable for tuner to antenna/rigging.
Does anyone have any ideas.
Does anyone have any ideas.
Installing SSB
- Thread starter prattsatsea
- Start date
bobgosling
Well-Known Member
I thought Sintered Bronze was the normal requirement rather than Copper Foil ?
Available here : web page
Available here : web page
mdrifter
Well-Known Member
Suitable foil used to be obtainable from Greenham Marine. Sintered plates may not be necessary if you can tie sufficient metal on boat into the ATU ground system - ss water tank(s), fuel tank(s), engine - all connected to ATU ground using copper foil. Best if foil continuous but it does not appear essential - use penny washers to "pass through" bulkheads. If you have keel bolts then attach foil to one by drill/tap washer & bolt. Currently I'm getting good reports despite not yet connecting to keel bolt! The purists would probably sling a dipole but backstay with insulators works as does hoisting a wire up the mast and as clear of other rigging as practical. Good idea to keep the power down as low as allows contact - 20W uses significantly less than 200 and works Ok for me! Also battery power lasts longer away from shore.
prattsatsea
New Member
Sorry but maybe did not make it very clear. I am not looking for a ground plate. I require the copper foil to link the SSB and the tuner to the ground.
G
Guest
Guest
Use wide tinned braid for the ground straps. It does not go green like copper.
If you want the copper for the ground plane then use bronze mesh epoxied to the inside of the hull.
As for high voltage cable I normally make my own from the big coax RG8 stripped down to the white insulation and then protected with hot melt glue heat shrink. (white insulation material degrades in sunlight).
Looks like you can get the real stuff from these people. Never tried them though.
http://www.yachtcom.co.uk/SailCom/index.html
If you want the copper for the ground plane then use bronze mesh epoxied to the inside of the hull.
As for high voltage cable I normally make my own from the big coax RG8 stripped down to the white insulation and then protected with hot melt glue heat shrink. (white insulation material degrades in sunlight).
Looks like you can get the real stuff from these people. Never tried them though.
http://www.yachtcom.co.uk/SailCom/index.html
Birdseye
Well-Known Member
best answer for the high voltage cable was copper cored spark plug wire. for the counterpoise lead, I just used heavy duty plastic coated wire and it worked fine.
it might be nice to use thick copper straps for the latter, but you wont find it makes much difference in practise
it might be nice to use thick copper straps for the latter, but you wont find it makes much difference in practise
beneteau_305_553
Well-Known Member
I have heard that connecting the RF earth of the ATU to the toe rail, guard wires and stanchion post system acts as a good counterpoise and is very effective. You can also connect to the keel which also add more RF earth. Use at least 10 mm2 cable and keep the cables as short as possible. Make sure though that the RF ground is insulated from the mast and vertical rigging wires as these will absorb the RF.
This eliminates the need for the copper foil.
This eliminates the need for the copper foil.
jambaman
Well-Known Member
got our copper foil from Bob Young at yachtcom. great for advise and the bits & bobs needed for installation. tel #: 01489856558100. I think his parts website is sailcom.com or eu!!!
pohopetch
Active Member
For the high voltage cable, (called GTO-15 is the US) this guy supplies it the UK for £10 for a 6m length - http://www.jgtech.com/aerial.htm . Many people use normal mains conduit type cable for this, but there is a risk of burns if someone happens to have their hand on the cable running up to the backstay insulator when transmitting on high power. You can surround it with a piece of 15mm plastic conduit to avoid this. GTO-15 has quite thick insluation.
Cheers, Peter.
Cheers, Peter.
William_H
Well-Known Member
Solar Neil is right in that RG8U coax the big stuff has a well insulated heavy copper conductor. Put a plastic sleeve around it if it is in sunlight. Use the braid of the same coax for your earthing. Hopefully you can find a coax with tinned copper braid.
I am intrigued by Hunter Wanderer's comment that rigging should be insulated from earth (RF) I can't immagine that is possible or desirable from lighning strike aspect. Ireckon you have to put up with distroted radiation pattern from the large earthed mass of mast and rigging. I spent many years installing HF on small aircraft where the antenna ran to a large extent paralell to the fuselage and wing all connected to RF earth with no apparent problems.(usually cockpit roof to tail fin top then to a wing tip 28ft but often just cockpit roof to fin tip)... .olewill
I am intrigued by Hunter Wanderer's comment that rigging should be insulated from earth (RF) I can't immagine that is possible or desirable from lighning strike aspect. Ireckon you have to put up with distroted radiation pattern from the large earthed mass of mast and rigging. I spent many years installing HF on small aircraft where the antenna ran to a large extent paralell to the fuselage and wing all connected to RF earth with no apparent problems.(usually cockpit roof to tail fin top then to a wing tip 28ft but often just cockpit roof to fin tip)... .olewill
Redmond
Well-Known Member
Fully endorse Bob Young at yachtcom. Gave me huge amount of help about setting up my ICOM even though I didnt get from him. Being able to talk to him on the phone made the installation possible.
Fr J Hackett
Well-Known Member
Copper foil 100mm* 1mm approx available from Waypoint one Plymouth. It would help if your bio said where your boat was if you are in the Clyde or Hamble there is not much point in sourcing materials from the south west, just a point!
hightech
Well-Known Member
Use a Dynaplate with a strip of copper feeding from the ATU, this will give you a large surface area of grounding.
Sailorbuoy
Active Member
I have used coax for both earth and antenna connection. strapped inner and outer together. The Insulation is high voltage so leave als is. The normal 5mm dia is in use on the backstay and the larger 10mm on the earth.
