Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2015 08:40:24 -0500
The loads that came with my PowerAim120 are silver plated screw-on Type-N connectors with either 2 precision non-inductive resistors or 2 short jumpers soldered down inside the connector. The Open is
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2015 21:03:45 -0600
This reminds me of a local fly-by-night tower guy that built an FM broadcast tower for a former client. He enlisted his elderly semi-deaf father to drive a small truck to lift the Rohn 55 tower secti
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Dec 2015 17:08:23 -0600
That would also be my very vague answer as well. Mostly because ground loses change with frequency, soil conductivity/permittivity, etc. I will absolutely say that you did good by putting the radial
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2016 08:20:34 -0600
I was originally leery of the grips but now specify them exclusively. The only grips that I have ever personally known to slide or fail were the wrong grip installed on the wrong sized cable. Thankfu
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2016 10:17:55 -0600
John, How did the grip corrosion compare to the guy cable itself? My tower guy ran into a situation where he was installing a 180ft tower kit for a client and found some of the grips were already sho
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2016 08:46:01 -0600
Which doesn't mean that 2 closely spaced rods are worse than 1 rod but that they just aren't as effective as 2 properly spaced rods. This assuming that the rods are firmly bonded together with a lo-z
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2016 12:47:42 -0600
Paul, My thoughts on long ground rods is that at some point, the reactance of the rod itself will limit it's useful length. What that length is, is totally beyond my skill set... Kevin C. Kidd, CSRE/
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2016 11:00:08 -0600
If you have any semblance of a radial ground system, I don't find this surprising. We bond to well casings for lightning grounds at AM broadcast towers but they don't provide much in the way of an RF
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2016 13:27:23 -0600
I brazed an 8ft ground rod to the end of about 200ft of 2in copper strap and dropped it into the hole. I doubt that it is doing anything but it made the owner feel better about his plastic hole. The
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2016 13:50:28 -0600
Nervous would not cover my initial reaction... After having blown quarter sized holes in heavy chain link fence posts, I wouldn't even consider it. Not to mention that you have destroyed the galvaniz
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2016 10:56:01 -0600
He might be mowing a little high... Kevin C. Kidd, CSRE/AMD AM Ground Systems Company - WD4RAT kkidd@kkbc.com -- 866-22-RADIO -- 866-227-2346 www.amgroundsystems.com _________________________________
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2016 08:17:46 -0500
Or just use direct burial cable and lay the conduit(s) in for future use. As far as I know, all good quality coax is rated direct burial and some is specifically designed as such. Type UF AC wire is
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2016 18:29:08 -0500
Just a side note... WD40 isn't very good at lubricating. It is good at penetrating and short term lube but should be supplemented with another oil suitable for the application. Kevin C. Kidd, CSRE/AM
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 23 May 2016 12:15:24 -0500
Gary, I can't be 100% certain since connectors are "improved" so often but all of the connectors that I have used have a procedure for installing without the prep tools. Some of the brands that I hav
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2016 15:17:03 -0500
Dave, We had a local 180ft commercial tower damaged in a similar manner. A local tower crew built a form on top of the existing pier up about a foot above the damage, inserted dozens of pieces of sma
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2016 12:10:03 -0500
Mike, If it's not copper or some alloy thereof, don't waste your time for a permanent installation. Unless it is in a desert region, it's useful life could probably be measured in months. I have and
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 11:43:24 -0500
Actually amateur radio is where I have acquired much of my learning... Nor did I advocate it. We have mostly stopped using copper mesh around AM towers due to cost and availability. How long? Profess
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2016 12:51:32 -0500
I can't entirely disagree with this but I have worked on enough AM sites where someone used steel (galvanized or not) in/on the ground and it has been very short lived. Everything from galvanized guy
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2016 16:18:16 -0500
Earl, I use 15% silphoz for wire and strap to copper clad ground rods regularly. It takes a lot of flame heat and you have to be careful not to carbonize the conductor or the rod. The silphos is more
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2016 19:22:22 -0600
If you don't find your article, give him a call at Nott Ltd. He is semi-retired but is a really interesting character to talk to. It might take a few days for him to get back to you after you leave a