4O3A Signature – Antenna Genius User Manual
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source for information on this topic is the ARRL Handbook, updated annually and available from
the ARRL Bookstore:
Another excellent resource for station grounding information and RFI mitigation are several
documents written by Jim Brown, K9YC, available for free download at:
http://www.audiosystemsgroup.com/K9YC/K9YC-old
AG is a computer and thus its electronics will generate some heat. Also, the relays and other
components will generate heat when under load. Make sure there is adequate clearance and
airflow around the AG cabinet sides and top in its installation position.
8.5.
DC power connection
Connect a DC power cable from your station 13.8 VDC power supply (anywhere from 12 to 15
VDC is OK, your shack DC power supply is likely 13.8 VDC) to the outlet marked 12-15VDC on
the bottom panel. Center pin is + pole. We recommend using a DC fuse such as those provided
on the popular RIGrunner and similar DC power distribution units (you can use the 1 Amp blade
fuse that comes with RIGrunners). If you don’t have a RIGrunner, we strongly suggest you place
a 1 Amp DC fuse in series with the hot side of your DC power cable.
Make sure your power supply can supply at least 300 mA @ 13.8 VDC. We strongly advise using
a clean, high-quality DC power source for AG and all your other station equipment. Many cheap
switch mode power supplies and “wall warts” are unstable and can generate surprising
amounts of RFI well into the VHF spectrum.
8.6.
Network cabling
Most home networks (LAN) operate at Ethernet (10 Mb/s), Fast Ethernet (100 Mb/s) or Gigabit
Ethernet (1000 Mb/s) speeds. All of these networks work fine over Category 5 UTP or better
rated cable such as Cat5e, which is widely available, or Cat6. It’s likely the cable you are already
using for your home network will work great with AG.
If you are unfamiliar with or need a refresher on home networks, a good primer from PC World
is online here:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/196049/the_ultimate_guide_to_home_networking.html
100BASE-T networking has 328-foot (100 m) limitation between active devices (such as Ethernet
switches). Keep this in mind when locating your AG.
