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Routing HF Antenna, Dangers ?

900 views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  SVAuspicious 
#1 ·
Hello forum,

I'm curious, is there anything I need to be aware of when routing the antenna cable for HF ? This is for a few hundred watts, and mostly what I want to know is if the antenna cable is a fire hazard, is there a danger routing it through a whole drilled in wood ?

I think that I need to keep the antenna cable away from other cables because it might cause interference with them when transmitting.
 
#2 ·
You're talking about the GTO-15 wire to the tuner, right?

Why would you be running it any significant distance? Ideally, the tuner should be located as closely as practical to the base of the antenna, and the length of the GTO wire kept to a minimum...

GTO-15 is an insulated, weatherproof wire... I've never placed my hand on it while transmitting, but I doubt it generates an excessive amount of heat :)

It's usually routed through the deck via some sort of rubber grommet compression fitting, after all...
 
#4 ·
I'm curious, is there anything I need to be aware of when routing the antenna cable for HF ? This is for a few hundred watts, and mostly what I want to know is if the antenna cable is a fire hazard, is there a danger routing it through a whole drilled in wood ?

I think that I need to keep the antenna cable away from other cables because it might cause interference with them when transmitting.
Then you are talking about the wire that is usually GTO-15 -- the same stuff used for power to neon signs.

Unless you have an unusual radio you are dealing with a maximum of 150 watts. I have never seen or heard of any issue of burning to objects or people at that power level. It would be best to keep the wire as far as possible from any other conductor on the boat to minimize interference. If you have to cross another conductor try to cross at right angles.

The danger of routing through a hole drilled in wood is chafe. Oversize the hole a bit and use sealant as a plug to 'float' the wire in the hole.
 
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