what to do about static

[wenzeslaus]

I connect a 25' random wire to the antenna of my portable battery powered SW radio. string it along the hall up in the air.

when I do that, there are a lot of staticy pops with the normal background static of radio reception. once in a while I get a big POP, sometimes loud enough to make me jump. I had to quit doing that because I'm convinced my radio is going to get zapped and quit working.

I'm pretty sure it's caused by static electricity in the air from the A/C. to test that theory, I set up the antenna outside. didn't get any static at all.

what can I do to reduce or eliminate static electricity on the antenna wire inside the house? besides turn off the A/C

 

[WA8ZTZ]

You may have answered your own question regarding the A/C causing the indoor air to be dry enough to cause static electricity
to build up. The outside air is likely more humid and thus no static build up.
Be careful... if you are connecting the random wire to the whip antenna on the portable you may damage the receiver front end
circuitry with the static electricity.

 

[merlin]

As you go down in frequency from 50 Mhz, the noise floor increases.
Can't get around that. There are hundreds of noise sources above that, especially in urban settings and indoors. About anything electronic or electrical will contribute to noise.
Thermostats can make clicking and popping, as can lightning. Florescent and led lighting generates noise. Computers, TVs etc. generate noise, and noise can enter from electric service lines.
I am stuck in a high noise environment, Night averages S9 and 30 Db during the day.
That is with a EFLW 30 foot indoors. I hope to get a 140 foot long wire onto the roof, away from conduits and residential electronics. That should improve the signal to noise ratio.
Tuners and filtering I hope will give me some acceptable DX SWLing.
I am looking at a battery powered portable and 88 fot of antenna for like DXpedition outside of town and away from HV distribution towers.
Cheers.

 

[wenzeslaus]

I'm used to the noise. I don't need to ask for a way to get rid of it. never have done ham radios only SW and as you know that only goes to 22 MHz.

extra static in the mix from static electricity doesn't bother me too much, it's that I don't want to wreck my radio(s).

yes getting that antenna out onto the roof will improve s/n greatly, I was amazed when I took my 25 speaker wire outside. stronger signal too.

 

[wenzeslaus]

it had been cool today and I haven't run the A/C at all. so I did an experiment. got on the shortwave, antenna retracted, getting no static elec. slowly extended it (scared to death of getting a POP in my ears) and still no static. connected it to the 25' random wire, no static. scanned around for a half hour to make sure. nothing.

turned on the A/C. the minute cold air blows on the antenna, started getting the little static pops. wasn't going to wait for the big ones. went downstairs to the A/C unit to double check if the pops were actually RF interference from the motor. stood next to it a few minutes with the antenna extended. nope. however they started after a few minutes when I noticed cold air coming to me from the ceiling vent I can't close.

turned off the A/C. waited a while for the air to return to normal (same temp as before I turned it on) and tried again in the previous location. got 2 little static pops from the 25' wire, then nothing the rest of the night.

at this point I really do believe the static electricity comes from the air that went through the A/C.

 

[merlin]

A decent receiver with adjustable AGC, just set to fast and helps prevent that cannon pop with noise. Most noise blankers help too.
Dry air is most susceptible to static, an AC will cool the air making it drier.
Humidity condenses on the cores and runs out a vent.
Warm air can hold more humidity.

 

[W8WCA]

A cheap Loop Antenna would help also. Like the MLA-30.
You would need an adapter to comnnect it to your Antenna if your portable does not have an external Antenna Input.
Like maybe an SMA to Alligator Clip Adapter

 

[wenzeslaus]

A cheap Loop Antenna would help also. Like the MLA-30.
You would need an adapter to comnnect it to your Antenna if your portable does not have an external Antenna Input.
Like maybe an SMA to Alligator Clip Adapter

how do you connect an antenna that has a ground, when the portable radio has a telescopic antenna and no ground?

 

[Boombox]

how do you connect an antenna that has a ground, when the portable radio has a telescopic antenna and no ground?

What radio are you using? Does it have an EXT antenna jack for SW antennas?

 

[wenzeslaus]

What radio are you using? Does it have an EXT antenna jack for SW antennas?

a battery powered portable radio with a telescopic antenna, no external antenna jack

 

[MUTNAV]

If the problem is strictly not wanting to fry a radio with static. The thread

Static drain for outside long wire antenna

Up until now I've used the old tube radios I collect and restore for DXing. I use a 50' outside wire for my antenna. Static (other than lightning) isn't a problem for tube radios. But I decided I wanted to try one of the new portable radios and ordered a Tecsun PL-880, which should arrive in a...

forums.radioreference.com

has a small circuit a couple of posts down on how to try and protect your receiver.

The whole thread seems very applicable though, with several different ideas posted.

http://www.ad5x.com/images/Articles/Static%20Bleed.pdf

This is more information

Thanks
Joel

 

[oldradioguy2010]

I did not see if this subject was given, in my condo I pointed the end of my ant at the noise ie lights so the flat side away from fixture. I too have appox.25 ft. long wire.

DW
So. Cal

 

[Boombox]

If the problem is strictly not wanting to fry a radio with static. The thread

Static drain for outside long wire antenna

Up until now I've used the old tube radios I collect and restore for DXing. I use a 50' outside wire for my antenna. Static (other than lightning) isn't a problem for tube radios. But I decided I wanted to try one of the new portable radios and ordered a Tecsun PL-880, which should arrive in a...

forums.radioreference.com

has a small circuit a couple of posts down on how to try and protect your receiver.

The whole thread seems very applicable though, with several different ideas posted.

http://www.ad5x.com/images/Articles/Static%20Bleed.pdf

This is more information

Thanks
Joel

I read through that thread and the easiest suggestion was using a 1 Meg Ohm resistor. Looks like you could alligator clip it between the antenna and a ground, using some clips, a resistor, and wire.

 

[MUTNAV]

I read through that thread and the easiest suggestion was using a 1 Meg Ohm resistor. Looks like you could alligator clip it between the antenna and a ground, using some clips, a resistor, and wire.

I agree, if it's just a matter of bleeding off static from dry air to protect the receiver front end, it should work nicely.

Thanks
Joel

 

[wenzeslaus]

I have a box of parts. the biggest resistor I have is 550 ohms. either it didn't work or insufficient ground.

right now I am trying a capacitor, 1000 uF 35V. I think it's working. connected the (-) terminal on the antenna (which continues to the radio), and the (+) terminal to a ground wire. heard 1 small pop that I'm pretty sure should have been a big POP because it came when the lights dimmed. no small pops, so far, which might mean it's mellowing out the big pops and completely soaking up the rest. could be wrong. still listening to see what happens.

 

[wenzeslaus]

not getting any static. disconnected the ground to see what static there is on the antenna- none. maybe because the air isn't dry enough.

then I discovered the ground wire by itself works better than the 25' antenna. so good that if I touch the antenna wire to the ground wire to make a tee with the radio, there is zero difference. not even the staticy pop you usually get when you touch wire to the antenna.

have to wait until the air is dryer. then I can try different combinations of antenna, ground wire, with/without the capacitor.

 

[WA0CBW]

Are you saying your lights flicker when you hear the "pops"?

 

[W8WCA]

how do you connect an antenna that has a ground, when the portable radio has a telescopic antenna and no ground?

I have never tried it - I have seen posts about doing it with SMA to Alligator Clip Cable - They said they connected just one and even both to the whip antenna. (I would try just the Center Line to the Whip and leave other off) If I find a link to the couple of mentioned I will post here.

 

[wenzeslaus]

Are you saying your lights flicker when you hear the "pops"?

no

 

[MUTNAV]

not getting any static. disconnected the ground to see what static there is on the antenna- none. maybe because the air isn't dry enough.

then I discovered the ground wire by itself works better than the 25' antenna. so good that if I touch the antenna wire to the ground wire to make a tee with the radio, there is zero difference. not even the staticy pop you usually get when you touch wire to the antenna.

have to wait until the air is dryer. then I can try different combinations of antenna, ground wire, with/without the capacitor.

Now it's careful time... A ground is there to shunt fault power to... Ground.... if there is a fault in your electrical system you'll end up with stuff on the Ground... GFCI circuits are made to trip at low currents (milli amp range). It might be safe, it's how we would hook radio grounds up in the past, but I don't know about now....

Also, please just verify when you say ground, you mean the bare copper wire, (not part of a two wire plug).?

Thanks
Joel