‰  NOW 13 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM JANUARY 2015 QST PAGE 63  ‰

DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY SHOULD BE TREATED AS PART OF THE ANTENNA SYSTEM.
THAT INCLUDES YOU WHEN TOUCHING ANY OF THOSE CONDUCTORS.  TAKE A LOOK AT
FIGURE 1, WHICH SHOWS A TYPICAL HOME STATION.  EVERYTHING IN THAT FIGURE IS
PART OF THE ANTENNA SYSTEM OF THAT STATION.  IF THE STATION IS OPERATING ON
10 METERS, AT LEAST ONE POTENTIAL HOT SPOT IS NEVER MORE THAN ABOUT 8 FEET
AWAY.  WHY?  CONSIDER THE WAVELENGTH AT 28 MHZ.  ITS 33R4 FEET AND 1/4
WAVELENGTH IS APPROXIMATELY 8R3 FEET.  WHEN A CONDUCTOR IS EXCITED BY RF,
ƒ  QST DE W1AW  ‰
EITHER DIRECTLY FROM A SIGNAL SOURCE OR BY PICKING UP RADIATED ENERGY, A
PATTERN OF PEAKS AND NULLS FOR BOTH VOLTAGE AND CURRENT IS CREATED.  PEAKS
ARE 1/2 WAVELENGTH APART AND SO ARE THE NULLS, WITH PEAKS AND NULLS OFFSET
1/4 WAVELENGTH APART.  WHETHER THE CONDUCTOR HAPPENS TO BE A WIRE, THE
OUTER SURFACE OF A COAX SHIELD, AN EQUIPMENT ENCLOSURE, OR A GROUND WIRE
MAKES NO DIFFERENCE.  ITS ALL A CONDUCTING SURFACE AS FAR AS THE RF IS
‰  END OF 13 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ