grounding ssb and vhf radio on aluminium hull

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Rupert Nagler - 07 Mar 2004 09:01 GMT

I am installing radio equipment on an aluminium boat (Ovni 435)
In order to avoid electrolysis, what is the best way to ground vhf and ssb
transceivers on a aluminium boat?

I have to use a "floating power supply", so neither the positive nor
negative power lead is connected to the hull.
All installation manuals tell me I should ground my equipment (transceiver
and antenna-tuner) with copper-foil to the hull. I think this would trigger
2 very bad disadvantages:
1. I would ruin my floating power because then I would also connect the hull
to the negative power lead.
2. Copper on aluminium will cause heavy electrolysis

Anybody out there who knows of a practicable solution?

Reply to this Message

Dennis Pogson - 07 Mar 2004 10:17 GMT

> I am installing radio equipment on an aluminium boat (Ovni 435)
> In order to avoid electrolysis, what is the best way to ground vhf
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Anybody out there who knows of a practicable solution?

I am no expert on marine radio, but would the hull itself not provde
adequate grounding?

Remove "nospam" from return address.

Reply to this Message

Meindert Sprang - 07 Mar 2004 12:14 GMT

> I am installing radio equipment on an aluminium boat (Ovni 435)
> In order to avoid electrolysis, what is the best way to ground vhf and ssb
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Anybody out there who knows of a practicable solution?

Yes. You can connect the ground of the HF and VHF to the hull with a few
large high-current/high voltage capacitors. This blocks DC to prevent
electrolysis but it passes the RF.

Meindert

Reply to this Message

Bruce in Alaska - 07 Mar 2004 22:11 GMT

> > I am installing radio equipment on an aluminium boat (Ovni 435)
> > In order to avoid electrolysis, what is the best way to ground vhf and ssb
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>
> Meindert

Meindert is correct in this situation. Use some High Voltage, Rf
Capacitors to isolate the DC Grounds of the Radio's, and Ground stud on
the MF/HF antenna autotuner from the hull. I like to use four or five
.1 uF 5000V Ceramic Transmitting Caps in parallel, for this job.
Don't get sucked in and try to use Electolytic Caps. You need REAL
RF Components for this job. Of course you could just PowderCoat
the outside of the hull, and not worry about electrolys.

Bruce in alaska

Signature

add a <2> before @

Reply to this Message

Boat Forum / Electronics / March 2004

grounding ssb and vhf radio on aluminium hull