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- 10 - 

 
Ground System

 

 

 
The four 

DXE-RSEAV-1

 Active Elements work well with just a single 6’ x 5/8” copper ground rod 

used as the ground mount. A separate mounting pipe can be used with optional clamps as the 
element ground if the pipe provides an adequate ground. Depending on soil conductivity, best 
performance may require two ground rods spaced a few feet apart. Increasing ground rod depth 
beyond 5 ft. rarely improves RF grounding because skin effect in the soil prevents current from 
flowing deep in the soil. Avoid ground rods less than 5/8 in. OD. A good ground system improves 
the array performance and enhances lightning survivability. 

It is very important that each ground 

system be the same for each active antenna in the array. 

 

You can test ground quality by listening to a steady local signal. Attach 15 ft. of wire laid in a 
straight line (away from the coaxial feedline) to the ground rod. If you observe a change in signal or 
noise level, you need to improve the ground. A second rod spaced a few feet away from the first one 
may correct the problem or 10 to 12 ground radials, each 15 ft. long, should provide a sufficient 
ground system for most soil conditions.  
 
 

Lightning Protection 

 
While amateur radio installations rarely suffer damage from lightning, the best protection is to 
disconnect electrical devices during storms. The key to lightning survival is to properly ground 
feedlines and equipment and to maintain the integrity of shield connections. A proper installation 
improves lightning protection and enhances weak signal receiving performance.  

 

Consult lightning protection and station grounding information in the ARRL handbooks, or by 
referring to the NEC (National Electric Code). The DX Engineering website also has technical and 
product information “

Lightning Protection and Grounding

”. Use lightning surge protectors for the 

coax feedline and control lines such as the 

DXE-RLP-75FF

 Lightning Protector, Receive 75Ω, DC 

Pass, with F Connectors, for the array feedline at the station end single point ground. 

Содержание DXE-R8C-SYS-V3

Страница 1: ...em Package DXE R8C SYS V3 U S Patent No 7 423 588 DXE R8C SV3 INS Revision 0 DX Engineering 2022 1200 Southeast Ave Tallmadge OH 44278 USA Phone 800 777 0703 Tech Support and International 330 572 320...

Страница 2: ...11 Vertical Element Feedlines 12 Typical DXE R8C SYS V3 Receive Eight Circle Configuration 13 Delay Line 14 Optimizing the Array 14 Theory of Operation of the Receive Eight Circle Array 15 System Des...

Страница 3: ...ands typically 160 80 and 40 meters it is functional from 500 kHz to 30 MHz Excellent directivity in a smaller space than phased Beverages for better signal to noise ratio than transmit arrays and oth...

Страница 4: ...75 coaxial cable connectors DXE EX6XL 25 Package of 25 F Connectors for quad shield 75 RG6 coaxial cable Additional Parts Required Not Supplied with the DXE R8C SYS V3 One additional DXE RG6UFQ 1000...

Страница 5: ...ight Circle Array Controller eight DXE RSEAV 1 Receive Short Element Active Vertical Antennas and one Delay Cable with F Connectors installed These units interconnect and work together using factory d...

Страница 6: ...ler unit should be mounted as shown in Figure 3 with cover upward and the control and coaxial cable connections downward to prevent water from entering the box The stainless steel base of the Receive...

Страница 7: ...connections are labeled G A B C D The terminals use the same connection letters and are connected G to G A to A B to B C to C and D to D On the RCA8C 1 the green connector is a two part connector as s...

Страница 8: ...ontrol Line Lengths Minimum Copper Wire Gage AWG Length 24 1 000 feet 22 1 500 feet 20 2 000 feet Active antenna circuitry needs a good voltage supply to operate properly When supplying power to an ac...

Страница 9: ...proximity to transmitting antennas 1 10 wavelength of the lowest transmitting frequency This is possible provided the active units are powered off at least 5 ms before transmitting An optional sequenc...

Страница 10: ...a change in signal or noise level you need to improve the ground A second rod spaced a few feet away from the first one may correct the problem or 10 to 12 ground radials each 15 ft long should provi...

Страница 11: ...nt Feedline and Delay Line It is important to use 75 feedline to the operating position from the DXE RCA8C 1 unit Do not use amplifiers combiners filters or splitters that are not optimized for 75 sys...

Страница 12: ...ge them Excessive tightening torque can loosen the chassis mounting nut allowing the connector body to rotate and fracture the mounting tabs on either installation or removal of the connector F connec...

Страница 13: ...gure 7 Coaxial Cables are shown in various colors for clarity Shown with optional DXE RPA 2 Receive Pre Amplifier DXE RFCC 1 Receive Feedline Current Choke and optional DXE CW9S Control Cable Power co...

Страница 14: ...a and set the receiver to the narrowest selectivity you expect to use Receiver noise power is directly proportional to receiver bandwidth going from 2 5 kHz selectivity to 250 Hz selectivity reduces n...

Страница 15: ...an stable pattern with high directivity over wide bandwidth W8JI initially developed and used this array in the 1980 s This array started appearing in the 1990 s at larger more advanced low band DX st...

Страница 16: ...dband active elements this array has unbeatable performance across a single band The Eight Circle Array upper frequency limit for a clean unidirectional pattern is slightly above where the array is 35...

Страница 17: ...rimary benefit Antenna gain is a secondary advantage As frequency increases the fixed array size becomes electrically larger in terms of wavelength The increased electrical spacing produces higher sen...

Страница 18: ...nductors regardless of element design for a given style of element The effect on pattern depends almost entirely on how much surrounding objects absorb and re radiate signals if the undesired structur...

Страница 19: ...power lines as possible Proximity to Transmitting Antennas Eight DXE RSEAV 1 Receive Antenna Active Vertical active elements and your transmitting antenna need only minimal physical separation to main...

Страница 20: ...d with a radius of 327 wavelength This pattern achieves the best Receiving Directivity Factor RDF which is a figure that compares the forward lobe gain to the average gain of the antenna array in all...

Страница 21: ...lowable side lobe levels as represented closely to the pattern 35 wavelength radius shown in Figure 9 For example an array built to cover 160 80 and 40 meters has a highest frequency of 7 3 MHz and a...

Страница 22: ...atterns in Figure 10 were generated using EZNEC and show the effects on the patterns when varying the radius of the array These patterns are not to be viewed as pointing in a default or particular dir...

Страница 23: ...not know the VF of the coaxial cable you are using you must directly measure the electrical length of the coaxial cable you have with an analyzer or obtain cable with a known VF Table 3 shows delay l...

Страница 24: ...imensions rather than operating frequency which allows for the use of a single delay line for optimum directivity over a very wide frequency range This results in phase being correct for a rearward nu...

Страница 25: ...Array is sized by multiplying the free space wavelength at 1 832 MHz of 537 feet wavelength times the optimum pattern circle radius of 0 327 wavelength which yields an optimal circle radius of 175 6...

Страница 26: ...2 26 66 13 172 8 345 6 319 3 0 604 3 500 70 29 35 14 91 8 183 7 169 7 0 604 3 650 67 40 33 70 88 1 176 1 162 7 0 604 3 800 80M only or 160 80M 64 74 32 37 84 58 169 2 156 3 0 604 7 200 40M only 34 17...

Страница 27: ...pulled inward C Shorted Open conductors due to water Check feedlines and control cable D Zapped by lightning pulse or RF overload Make sure units are at least 1 2 wavelength on the lowest frequency a...

Страница 28: ...Active antennas and any transmit antennas If that distance is less and high power is used then the Time Variable Sequence Unit TVSU 1B must be used to interrupt power to the AVA units 2 Damaged Receiv...

Страница 29: ...tem relay unit with the control cable connected and again at the end of the control cable that is disconnected from the Receive Eight Circle System relay unit If measured voltages are not between 10 t...

Страница 30: ...ing the RF If one or more Active Receive Verticals produce a low or no signal then the AVA unit at the base of that antenna may not be receiving power Retest for DC power at the antenna end of that fe...

Страница 31: ...31 NOTES...

Страница 32: ...allation damaged from severe weather including floods or abnormal environmental conditions such as prolonged exposure to corrosives or power surges or by the performance of repairs or alterations outs...

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