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SmokChsr
Who let the magic smoke out?
Premium Member
join:2006-03-17
Saint Augustine, FL

SmokChsr to drjim

Premium Member

to drjim

Re: Welcome

Click for full size
A typical ATU
said by drjim:

WHOO-HOO!
After ATU, I think this might be my new "home"!
Dr Jim,
Just curious isn't it a bit cramped living inside an ATU (Antenna Tuning Unit) Not to mention the RF bites when you move the wrong way.

Splitpair
Premium Member
join:2000-07-29
Cow Towne

Splitpair

Premium Member

Couple of questions if I might.

The device at the top left to what looks like a spark-gap is that isolation for tower light power? Is the antenna cap fed aka un-grounded?

Wayne

ArthurS
Watch Those Blinking Lights
Premium Member
join:2000-10-28
Hamilton, ON

ArthurS to SmokChsr

Premium Member

to SmokChsr
Is that a flux capacitor that I see in that ATU?!?

SmokChsr
Who let the magic smoke out?
Premium Member
join:2006-03-17
Saint Augustine, FL

1 edit

SmokChsr to Splitpair

Premium Member

to Splitpair
Yes, that is a lighting choke (Very Hi Z at AM RF frequencies) and the tower is insulated from ground and fed through the cap. The Lighting choke allows the 110V (neutral & 2 hot's one flashing and one steady) to cross the base insulator with minimal change in base Z, & radiation. That is an arc gap to give lightning someplace else to go rather than through the cap and other circuits, which it can and WILL do.

As for the Flux cap... you're close, it's a vacuum variable (read very expensive) capacitor.