Grounding

[mcerdos]

Here is a link to a great article on grounding a SSB:

http://www.crew4sail.com/articles/SSB_earthing/SSB_grounding.htm

[Maia]

Interesting article!!!

Are there any more information about that kind of ground a ssb system?
Using Bronce bar with copperfoil and a counterpoise wire at the same time.
Who has experience with it?
Fair winds
Maia

[SoonerSailor]

It does appear that the blogger has an effective HF radio installation, but it is also clear he doesn't have much background in radio electronics, e.g. mistakenly calling DC blocking capacitors diodes for example. Don't use a diode in that capacity!

He calls a monopole halyard antenna a dipole, which it isn't. A dipole will be of very different construction, feed, and resonant properties but is also a highly effective antenna at its resonant frequency.

He dismisses the SS backstay as being an inferior antenna because of the metals in it. Computer antenna modeling and experience demonstrate that there will not be a detectable difference in performance between SS and copper when used in this service.

He makes it sound like using regular wire in any capacity in the ground/counterpoise system is bad, that is not true. Due to "skin effect" wider diameter conductors (like copper foil/strapping) are lower resistance/inductance to RF but that doesn't render a 14 gauge wire ineffective or deleterious.

He does do very good things by providing multiple ground return paths for RF: the plate on the hull, the wide copper foil, and the window line "radial", and by keeping this isolated from the DC ground of the vessel. You really can't go wrong by adding multiple counterpoises/grounds as long as it is isolated from DC ground. It is also good to have alternate antennas for backup.

Chip

[denverd0n]

He says that for a good earth you HAVE to haul the boat and install a ground plate. That's just completely untrue. There are a lot of different ways to provide a counterpoise to your antenna. A ground plate is only one of those ways, and not always the best.

As SoonerSailor points out, the author obviously has a pretty limited understanding of radios, electronics, and antennas. Which, in a way, is the good news. You really don't need a deep understanding of these things to put together a system that will work. But don't rely on any single source for information (since it might contain a good bit of misinformation, like this one), and don't ever get to thinking that there is only one "right" way to do anything. Radios are like so many other things in that there are a lot of different ways to get the job done, and what works for you is way more important than the pronouncements of any self-appointed expert who thinks there's only one "right" way to do it.