I haven’t really validated all this for myself, but here is how the previous owner described the antenna setup on Deep Playa, #152.

“The Antenna Tuner is mounted forward in the Port cockpit locker. The antenna tuner has two connections. The antenna side is connected with #8 stranded wire to the chainplate for the main backstay. All the chainplates were bonded together (along with through hull fittings, etc.) with #8 stranded wire. The ground wire that was attached to that chainplate was removed and attached to the grounding terminal on the antenna tuner. What you end up with is a whole series of closed loops instead of a single separate isolated antenna wire and a large ground plane in the bilge. I cannot explain how it works, but it does.”

I think I’ve come to understand this as the antenna consists of a random length wire hooked to a really nice antenna tuner. The random length wire is made up of all of the standing rigging bonded together.

-p

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s/v Deep Playa | Pearson 424 #152 | http://www.DeepPlaya.com
Patrick’s Sailing Blog | http://www.shipsrecord.com/blogs/patrick

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Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

Yep… I know that. I asked him about RF exposure and any experience of getting shocked and he said no, but yeah in general I agree with you. That said on CruisersForum.com (or maybe it was SSCA) it was discusses that this is the cheapesteasiest way to get on the air. I plan to move to an isolated stay when I re-rig.

-p

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Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

I run my antenna up one side of the split backstay past the split,
about 30′ up total. I have 1″ diam., 4″ long pvc sections with uv
resistant plastic ties through the middle to isolate the antenna from
the wire rigging (with actual isolators on the portion of the stay
between mast and split where the antenna terminates.
1. Am I looking to bubbacue one of my kids?
2. how much copper strip do I need to make an adequate counterpoise
(“now you’re talking d/n show how to calculate this)
-adam
phantom corsair

On May 20, 2008, at 7:31 PM, Pete Dubler wrote:

Really not good…. The antenna should be isolated from the back
stay base and head and the “hot” part of the antenna should start
out of reach of human hands and heads. Any connecting wire from
the tuner to the antenna should be well insulated.

Pete

Patrick Walters wrote:

I haven’t really validated all this for myself, but here is how
the previous owner described the antenna setup on Deep Playa, #152.

“The Antenna Tuner is mounted forward in the Port cockpit locker.
The antenna tuner has two connections. The antenna side is
connected with #8 stranded wire to the chainplate for the main
backstay. All the chainplates were bonded together (along with
through hull fittings, etc.) with #8 stranded wire. The ground
wire that was attached to that chainplate was removed and attached
to the grounding terminal on the antenna tuner. What you end up
with is a whole series of closed loops instead of a single
separate isolated antenna wire and a large ground plane in the
bilge. I cannot explain how it works, but it does.”

I think I’ve come to understand this as the antenna consists of a
random length wire hooked to a really nice antenna tuner. The
random length wire is made up of all of the standing rigging
bonded together.

-p

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s/v Deep Playa | Pearson 424 #152 | http://www.DeepPlaya.com
Patrick’s Sailing Blog | http://www.shipsrecord.com/blogs/patrick

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For additional commands, e-mail:

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Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

If I read you correctly you have a separate antenna attached to your backstay. In general, if your antenna is higher than head height you should be getting less exposure to the signal. However, kind of like a yagi antenna, I’m sure your backstay also gets some energy pumped into, so I could theoretically see the possibility of getting a bit of a zap off your backstay but I don’t think the risk is very high.

I’m not sure about the copper, good antenna tuners can do wonders with almost nothing apparently.

-p

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s/v Deep Playa | Pearson 424 #152 | http://www.DeepPlaya.com
Patrick’s Sailing Blog | http://www.shipsrecord.com/blogs/patrick

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Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

Patrick, that is a shocker! (Pun intended).

Seriously, it sounds like it is a direct short from antenna to ground via the masthead. But I did ask for practice instead of theory, and I thank you for the information.