• RF Burn

    From Ed Vance@1:2320/105.1 to Roy Witt on Sun Jun 15 08:02:00 2014
    Howdy! Roy,

    On April 19, 2014 You wrote about getting a RF Burn because the Wife
    pressed the Microphone PTT Button while You were adjusting the Gamma
    Match on a Yagi Antenna, and later wrote it was 5 Watts of RF Power.

    On May 23, 2014 when I wrote if I keyed up my TS-520S and touched the
    antenna that was connected to the TS-520S I thought I would get a RF
    Burn from the Unmodulated UpperSideBand SSB Supressed Carrier.

    I've been thinking about that message and thought a NE-2 Neon Light
    Bulb would had been a Much Safer Way to Indicate If Or Not there was
    any RF on my 20M Inverted Vee Antenna If I Had Tried That Test.

    I haven't seen anyone talking one way or another about that so I
    thought I would send this additional comment to You.

    73 _._

    ... Conserve gravity: lose weight.
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  • From Roy Witt@1:387/22 to Ed Vance on Mon Jun 23 12:04:04 2014
    Greetings Ed!

    Howdy! Roy,

    On April 19, 2014 You wrote about getting a RF Burn because the Wife pressed the Microphone PTT Button while You were adjusting the Gamma
    Match on a Yagi Antenna, and later wrote it was 5 Watts of RF Power.

    At the time, that was 5 watts of 'input' power to the finals of a Browning Golden Eagle AM base-station. Maybe 3 watts at the antenna.

    On May 23, 2014 when I wrote if I keyed up my TS-520S and touched the antenna that was connected to the TS-520S I thought I would get a RF
    Burn from the Unmodulated UpperSideBand SSB Supressed Carrier.

    Right. I have a Bird Wattmeter using a 25watt HF slug, my HR2510 shows no
    RF output while keying the mic in SSB mode. AM or CW OTH, will show 10
    watts into a dummy load (i.e. 1:1 SWR).

    I've been thinking about that message and thought a NE-2 Neon Light
    Bulb would had been a Much Safer Way to Indicate If Or Not there was
    any RF on my 20M Inverted Vee Antenna If I Had Tried That Test.

    Or a field strength meter. to show any RF that may be there. Key the mic
    and then go outside and sweep the area around your 20M vee. Then key your
    520 in CW mode and see what you get. Better yet, try touching your
    inverted Vee at the place where RF current is supposed to be highest. You should get a kick out of that.

    I haven't seen anyone talking one way or another about that so I
    thought I would send this additional comment to You.

    I just did a test of what I meant and my tests show this to be true.


    Have a day!

    R\%/itt - K5RXT

    --- GoldED+/W32 1.1.5-31012
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    * Origin: HAM Radio, aka Amateur Radio. 804? Over! (1:387/22)
  • From Ed Vance@1:2320/105.1 to Roy Witt on Tue Jun 24 21:53:00 2014
    06-23-14 12:04 Roy Witt wrote to Ed Vance about RF Burn

    @MSGID: <53A95581.620.amtradio@capcity2.synchro.net>
    Greetings Ed!
    Howdy! Roy,
    Right. I have a Bird Wattmeter using a 25watt HF slug, my
    HR2510 shows no RF output while keying the mic in SSB mode. AM
    or CW OTH, will show 10 watts into a dummy load (i.e. 1:1 SWR).

    I had to see what a HR2510 was, I thought it was a Radio made by
    Regency as my HR-2 is, but no, it's made by Unidin(sp?).
    -snip-
    Or a field strength meter. to show any RF that may be there.
    Key the mic and then go outside and sweep the area around your
    20M vee. Then key your 520 in CW mode and see what you get.
    Better yet, try touching your inverted Vee at the place where
    RF current is supposed to be highest. You should get a kick out
    of that.

    And RF Current is Max at the Center Insulator of my 20M Inverted Vee
    that is just below my Gable Roof, Right?

    If that is correct I'd have to Key the Mike and Climb a Ladder to test
    that out, I Don't Think So, I'd have a Unmodulated SSB Signal on 20M
    for several minutes if I could do that test.

    I can't do it anyway since the Co-Ax feed line isn't running from the
    Attic to the Basement where I could do it.
    And before You Ask why not bring the 520 upstairs to do the test, Nope!
    -snip-
    I just did a test of what I meant and my tests show this to be
    true.

    Thanks for doing the test.
    That's suprising to me, of course your test was using a 25W MAX XCVR
    and I only have the Kenwood 520 to try here.

    ... Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance??
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  • From Roy Witt@1:387/22 to Ed Vance on Wed Jun 25 13:42:44 2014
    Greetings Ed!

    Right. I have a Bird Wattmeter using a 25watt HF slug, my
    HR2510 shows no RF output while keying the mic in SSB mode. AM
    or CW OTH, will show 10 watts into a dummy load (i.e. 1:1 SWR).

    I had to see what a HR2510 was, I thought it was a Radio made by
    Regency as my HR-2 is, but no, it's made by Unidin(sp?).
    -snip-

    Uniden President series, and I have two of them. One in the truck and one
    in the shack.

    Or a field strength meter. to show any RF that may be there.
    Key the mic and then go outside and sweep the area around your
    20M vee. Then key your 520 in CW mode and see what you get.
    Better yet, try touching your inverted Vee at the place where
    RF current is supposed to be highest. You should get a kick out
    of that.

    And RF Current is Max at the Center Insulator of my 20M Inverted Vee
    that is just below my Gable Roof, Right?

    A half-wave dipole schematic shows current max at the center of each leg
    with a dip at the feed point. Or is that voltage?

    If that is correct I'd have to Key the Mike and Climb a Ladder to
    test that out, I Don't Think So, I'd have a Unmodulated SSB Signal on
    20M for several minutes if I could do that test.

    I've done that into a dummy load that shows nill at the wattmeter,
    meaning that you would not have a signal on 20m unless you modulated the
    radio.

    I can't do it anyway since the Co-Ax feed line isn't running from the Attic to the Basement where I could do it.

    You could put a watt meter inline, either at the radio or the antenna.

    And before You Ask why not bring the 520 upstairs to do the test,
    Nope! -snip-

    Why would you suggest that? I'd never do it either.

    I just did a test of what I meant and my tests show this to be
    true.

    Thanks for doing the test.
    That's suprising to me, of course your test was using a 25W MAX XCVR
    and I only have the Kenwood 520 to try here.

    Remember that my previous statement was when I was using a 3w AM output to
    the antenna that burned me. 25w would give me more of a burn and I'm sure
    that your modulated SSB 520 could put out 100w, if you whistled. 8^)


    Have a day!

    R\%/itt - K5RXT

    --- GoldED+/W32 1.1.5-31012
    --- D'Bridge 3.99
    * Origin: HAM Radio, aka Amateur Radio. 804? Over! (1:387/22)