My AT-140 installation manual says to avoid connecting to the engine block
or the DC system ground. From everything I have read the tuner,
transceiver and TNC must be grounded to the same point to avoid ground
loops. The transceiver and TNC are connected to the system DC ground so if
you are going to take advantage of the keel or the engine for the RF ground
you need blocking caps.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

"Larry" wrote in message
...
joost wrote in news:b1a9e798-612a-4ad9-96fc-
:

Hi all,

I´m planning to build a DC block for the SSB ground strap. The article
Marine Grounding Systems, http://www.sailmail.com/grounds.htm,
discusses how to make this and suggests the type of capacitor to use.
It´s the Type X7R Monolithic Ceramic capacitor, 0.15uF, 100 volt.
Unfortunately I can only obtain the 50 volt version in the place where
I am now (Whangarei, New Zealand). Are there any opinions on whether
this will also suffice? I´m transmitting using a 100W Icom 718 SSB
transceiver.

Joost Jager.


Why do it all over again? The tuners, such as the Icom AT-140, already
have DC blocking capacitors built into them between the tuner and its RF
Ground terminal. Why put another one in series with the one already in
the
tuner??