I wonder what did happen when those brave souls disconnected
from ground the Decca mast at Puckeridge last year ?? :-)
73 Alberto I2PHD
Dear Alberto, LF group,
I tried this - The Decca ant downlead was provided with a movable
spark gap with 2 electrodes that could be shorted together when
not in use. There did not seem to be any sparking when the gap
was opened and closed. However, the weather was quite damp at
the time of both expeditions, so probably not much chance for
static to build up.
I believe static on antennas can be caused by friction with the wind
blowing past, so does not neccessarily need any thunderstorm
activity to appear. I remember when flying kites as a yougster,
getting small shocks off the line sometimes, even with clear skies.
I also recall that it is an endemic problem with aircraft, which are
often fitted with pointed discharging electrodes to prevent the
charge building up excessively.
Cheers, Jim Moritz
73 de M0BMU
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