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Wildrat
Intermediate Member
Username: Wildrat

Post Number: 443
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Saturday, December 10, 2005 - 6:14 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Could you put two polyphasers in line with your coax? Say at different points, so if one doesn't shunt it all to ground,the second one would?

Wildrat
CEF674
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Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808

Post Number: 8605
Registered: 8-2002


Posted on Saturday, December 10, 2005 - 6:55 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wildrat,

The PolyPhaser is designed to be the very LAST thing in line from your Antenna and Coax going into your house.

You then run jumpers from the PolyPhaser to your equipment or antenna switch.

The instructions are very specific as to where and how to locate the Polyphaser when installing them.

Paul / Tech833 can give you more information but he nor PolyPhaser suggested to me when I contacted them while doing the Review to install more than one per coax entering the house.

Hope this helps,

Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN
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Wildrat
Intermediate Member
Username: Wildrat

Post Number: 447
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Saturday, December 10, 2005 - 11:19 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Gotcha,

Those connectors everyone is calling lightning arrestors ***aren't they just a connector with a convenient way to ground your coax?***

I understood the directions on the Polyphaser, I was just asking out of curiosity mainly. KV sent me an email and said I need to hammer the ground rod I have on my Polyphaser all the way in the ground.
*** Can I use a piece of the #4 solid ground wire to go from the polyphaser to the ground rod?***
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Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833

Post Number: 1121
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 11:55 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

More than one Polyphaser will not help.

You need to have the entire rod underground (except for a stub sticking up to connect your ground wire).

If you cannot get your rod all the way in the ground, cut off the extra above ground.

Yes, you can use a #4 solid to the Polyphaser. However, I would suggest using the largest wire you can. Always use bare copper, never jacketed, unless it is going through a wall or something.
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Wildrat
Intermediate Member
Username: Wildrat

Post Number: 449
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 1:03 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Rodger Dodger 10-4, When it stops raining down here in this mud hole and the ground dries a bit, I will go whack it in the ground and put another wire on it.

What about your interconnecting ground wires between rods? Does it need to be buried underground or is being buried under Lava rock OK?

WildRat
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Hollowpoint445
Advanced Member
Username: Hollowpoint445

Post Number: 954
Registered: 6-2004
Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 6:39 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Why is insulated wire bad? The insulation would be transparent to RF.

Surface area is more important than diameter - especially for RF. As such, flat copper ribbon is better than wire because it has less unductance. For copper ribbon solid is better than braided unless it needs to move.

I don't know that copper is necessarily the best choice. It's certainly a better conductor than all of the other practical alternatives, but aluminum is pretty good, considerably cheaper, and much closer in galvanic index to aluminum(naturally), galvanized, and stainless steel. It's also not far from nickel.

Considering that most antennas are part or all aluminum, and most towers, support poles and hardware are galvanized, it's not a bad way to go. Especially with all of the inexpensive materials that already exist thanks to the TV antenna market. For those that want the lowest possible resistance, aluminum flashing is available in sheets or rolls that can easily be used to interconnect galvanized ground rods.
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Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior

Post Number: 1050
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 9:39 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Galvanized Rods are not even allowed to be used
in my area under the city and electric code.

JIM/PA/CEF 375

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Wildrat
Intermediate Member
Username: Wildrat

Post Number: 458
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Monday, December 12, 2005 - 10:12 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I've got both in the ground around here. Maybe I will hammer that ground rod in today.

Wildrat
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Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833

Post Number: 1123
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Monday, December 12, 2005 - 11:21 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wildrat- The ground rod bonding wires do not need to be underground, even above ground is O.K. Unless you are going to trip over them.

HP445- The insulated wire has a much lower velocity factor and 'slows' the current over the conductor surface. To lightning, this is almost the same as a resistor. In that case, if there is a lower impedance path somewhere, the lightning will take it instead of your ground rod!

Copper wire makes a better lightning and RF conductor for many reasons. Off the top of my head, I think one of the most important is because copper oxide has a higher VF than aluminum oxide.

You ONLY want to use copper or copper clad ground rods. Trust me!!

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