Question
What technique helps to minimize RF “hot spots” in an amateur station?
Answer Options
- A) Building all equipment in a metal enclosure
- B) Using surge suppressor power outlets
- C) Bonding all equipment enclosures together
- D) Placing low-pass filters on all feed lines
Correct Answer: C
Explanation
An RF ‘hot spot’ is a buildup of high Radio Frequency (RF) voltage on equipment enclosures, often resulting in RF burns or erratic equipment behavior. This is caused by stray RF currents flowing on the exterior of coaxial cables, power cords, and control cables and meeting a high-impedance path to ground.
The best technique to address this is to bonding all equipment enclosures together using short, wide copper straps (creating an equipotential bonding system). This forces all chassis to be at the same RF potential, eliminating the high voltage difference that creates the hot spot and guiding the stray RF to the main station ground.
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