My B6TV mount on my dock over salt water

[W2PAK]

Hi All,
I have a 6BTV antenna mounted over salt water on my dock. I wanted to share a video about the installation, and a video about the real world performance of my vertical antenna. This antenna does not feel like a compromise to me.

73 All,

Paul

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Questions:
1) Does VSWR fluctuate with tide levels?
2) How are you accomplishing a lightning protective ground if the radials are not in the ground or water?
3) What model 1:1 Balun?

 

[W2PAK]

Very good questions.
1) Interesting enough, I am working on a video to show the tide vs. SWR. The bottomline is that the tide affects the SWR minimally because I have 18 radials on the bottom of the dock.
2) Lighting protection is different from RF ground. RF ground is handled via the radials. Lighting ground is handled by 8' ground rods in the system. That may be a good idea for another video, haha.
3) the Balun can be found here: DX Engineering DXE-MC20-FC DX Engineering Maxi-Core® 20 Baluns and Feedline Chokes | DX Engineering

73,

Paul

 

[merlin]

I had a 6BTV and a very good vertical. Mount was about a foot obove ground and wires all over the back yard.
About 12 feet from my tower, and never saw any interaction, but the 6BTV was east so funky to the north pacific a mile away.
Probably should have kept it.

 

[hill]

Moat likely works great being over water.

One of the hams in our radio club lives on the water and verticals mounted over water really improves the performance.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I would keep a can of WD40 out there on the dock and spray the metal every time I get a chance.

 

[prcguy]

Very good questions.
1) Interesting enough, I am working on a video to show the tide vs. SWR. The bottomline is that the tide affects the SWR minimally because I have 18 radials on the bottom of the dock.
2) Lighting protection is different from RF ground. RF ground is handled via the radials. Lighting ground is handled by 8' ground rods in the system. That may be a good idea for another video, haha.
3) the Balun can be found here: DX Engineering DXE-MC20-FC DX Engineering Maxi-Core® 20 Baluns and Feedline Chokes | DX Engineering

73,

Paul

Are the ground rods near the antenna bonded to the main house AC entry point ground? If not that does not meet NEC and it generally causes more damage to electrical devices in the home from lightning strikes compared to everything bonded to a central ground point.

 

[W2PAK]

I have 3 x 8' rods bonded at the base of the antenna. I also have a 8' ground rod at the entry to the house with a lighting arrestor.