So here's what happened. I came in from outside and with my coat still on I got my little frequency counter/signal strength meter about the size of a deck of cards and went to do a routine check of the performance of the transmitter by bringing the antenna of the counter about 1/4" away from the Decade antenna just to see that everything's as it should be as I do from time to time. But without thinking I took my coat off first and you know what happens when you come inside in the winter and it's dry and you take off your coat....you are full of a huge charge of static electricity.
Well I didn't think to discharge my static before going anywhere near the transmitter so I held the frequency counter right up to the Decade antenna and then I got a HUGE shock on my finger that was holding the frequency counter and then was getting no reading and erratic numbers and I felt sick at that moment....OH NO!
After 5 minutes there was some little voice inside my head that said wait, there's erratic numbers on the counter that don't seem right.....stupid me, turn on the radio and see if it's still working.....which it was and a big sigh of relief......I fried the frequency counter!
Easy to replace.....$30 from China. Then I thought ... the Decade has the 2.2uH coil across the antenna to ground to protect in cases like this and it may have saved my butt.
I will open the Decade and check that the coil is OK and I have lots of extras of these.
A static charge is 1000s of volts but very little current, so not likely would hurt the coil.
Take a lesson guys! Protect your transmitters! Install a 2.2uH inductor across the output for protection. We pay enough for these it would heartbreaking to fry it with a shock from your finger.
Wouch!
Mark, I am glad you and your Decade MS-100 survived the jolt!