----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Mann" rmann@latencyzero.com To: "amsat Org" amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:42 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Antenna near gas lines?
Hi. Sorry for the somewhat off-topic post.
I recently moved into a townhouse with a lovely homeowner's association. Rather than fight them putting up my antenna outside, I decided to just mount it inside my attic. I found a spot about 3 feet away from a vertical run of the gas line to the heater (also in the attic). My first choice as a location right next to it, 'till I realized it was there.
Should I be concerned about creating an explosion hazard? My transmitter outputs a maximum of 100 W, and it's going into a Diamond X-30 antenna (http://www.diamond-ant.jp/ama2/eng_ama_2_2_3.asp).
I wouldn't think it should be a problem, since it's metal pipe, and an RF energy is unlikely to go through the gas. But sadly, I don't remember what I learned when I took my test, if it even addressed this issue.
Any advice would be welcome.
Thanks!
-- Rick
Hi Rick
Normally the metal pipes for gas are interrupted by insulating joints to prevent electrolitic corrosion and the RF currents induced over it by your antenna are flowing over the outside metal surface because of the skin effect and they cannot penetrate inside were the gas flow.
73" de
i8CVS Domenico