[SBE] conversation topic: how often do you check tower groundwires?

[Cris Alexander]

I've never tried that, but what a great idea!

______________________________
Cris Alexander, CPBE, AMD, DRB
Crawford Broadcasting Company
Denver, Colorado
(303) 433-0104
(303) 433-0905 Fax
Member AFCCE
 

-----Original Message-----
From: sbe-bounces at sbe.org [mailto:sbe-bounces at sbe.org] On Behalf Of Mike
Langner
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 1:18 PM
To: sbe member discussion mail list
Subject: Re: [SBE] conversation topic: how often do you check tower
groundwires?

For AM installations a good and quick way to check your radials is with a
clamp-on RF ammeter. The MFJ-853 is the one I use -- it's $60 and can be
seen at http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-853.

Typically once a year or so I walk around the tower base and do a quick
current reading in each radial.  It's amazing how the current will vary if
your radials are marginal -- lots of current in the good ones, little
current in the bad (short length) ones.

Not only will you get a good idea how your radial system's doing, but you'll
know exactly which radials are/are not in good shape.

Indeed, you can quickly check for RF in all sorts of places where it perhaps
shouldn't be -- audio cables, telephone lines, (small diameter) coaxial
cable outer surface currents, guy wires, etc.

I have no connection with MFJ enterprises.

Mike Langner
Former CE, Citadel Broadcasting Albuquerque Market now retired but doing a
bit of consulting --


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