Why the short ground wire?
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BigBopper
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Gadfly
There is another reason to keep grounds short as possible. It is to keep grounds from becoming what is called "resonant". When that happens, you can get squeals, moans, odd things like wipers coming on, and the mike shocks you when you brush it with your lips (OUCH 
) What is happening is, the ground itself is acting like an antenna and allowing currents to flow along it to unwanted places. You see, DC ground is not necessarily the same as RF ground!! Yes, it will show infinity on a VOM, but RF has a variable potential to ground that can't be seen with a volt meter. So, while I recommend taking power leads to the battery, it is also good practice to use that little lug at the back of the set and ground it to the body/frame/car seat, etc. as well! :D
73
Gadfly
) What is happening is, the ground itself is acting like an antenna and allowing currents to flow along it to unwanted places. You see, DC ground is not necessarily the same as RF ground!! Yes, it will show infinity on a VOM, but RF has a variable potential to ground that can't be seen with a volt meter. So, while I recommend taking power leads to the battery, it is also good practice to use that little lug at the back of the set and ground it to the body/frame/car seat, etc. as well! :D 73
Gadfly
