low voltage landscape lighting, if it's only 2 conductor.

Items 1 thru 6 have little value for ESD.  What is the desk made of?  If plastic or wood, consider a metal desk or a sheet metal top.  Carpeting?  what is your humidity level?

I'd try copper-weld.   Stiffness is desirable, and for UHF, the low skin depth means nil conduction in the steel.  Use those closet rack end wire pvc caps to make your aerial safe(r).

I don't think "dry" cement tile will affect your signal much.  But, I will say the tile will be abrasive and tear up your PE insulation.

So, my new house is now 2 story and has a 28' tall chimney, brick about 6' by 2' in external dimensions.  I realize that a chimney has structural limitations, and I don't relish the idea of mortar cracks, etc.  My chimney sweep says that these are not built with any steel.  I"m thinking about putting up a hexbeam to about 40'.  I've tossed around several ideas, from a selfsupporting AN wireless tower to a push up pole using the chimney at a couple of places for support.  The overriding design limit is no guy wires.  My last QTH, I used a Rohn 25 with a house bracket into a concrete/steel lintel at 8'.  The tower went to 30'.  That was a CBS home and made a very solid tower install, now I've got a house of sticks.  I'm not thinking I want to bracket a R25G off of a wood house, at any height.  Any comments on using the brick or wood structure?  

Oh, and I'm in a 70mph design loading area, with .5" ice.

Single, 10' length of FRP, 1/4" wall, 2" square section is just under $100 at McMaster carr.  1/8" wall is also listed.  PVC, wood, is all very second rate.

use a 2x6 form above grade. 

I like the idea of "divide and conquer".  If you divide the unknown by a factor of two for every test, the complex system gets small fast.  It's that geometric vs algebraic relationship.  So, you can either SNIFF at the stage points, or INJECT at the stage points.  I've done both.  If you have a general coverage (modern) receiver, build up a little sniffer out of a couple turns of insulated wire.  Tune the Rx to the expected signal, don't forget the injection freqs.  Xtal osc, VFO's can be easily analyzed for basic op this way.

That's something I had not yet heard.  You mean, if I use a ratty 5k ohm/volt meter, I can actually melt out a coil?

Let's be careful in our use of "dB".  It is not a unit of power.  "dBm", "dBW", are units of power.  dB by itself is not typically useful without some reference.  THe last poster, I think, wants to say dBW, and dBc  (used in industry to describe dB's below carrier).  But a spec of 43dB and 50dB is not complete, and that is a big source of confusion when comparing these spec limits.

USC title 47 part 97.307 is a good start.  

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2010-title47-vol5/pdf/CFR-2010-title47-vol5-sec97-307.pdf

It does ref. xmitters before 2003 and after 2003.   And, almost a free for all before 1978 devices.

One last item.  UL specifically forbids soldered bonding wires.  So, please crimp properly that connection.  The idea being, in a fire or severe overload, the solder won't melt and allow the wire to be pulled from the terminal. 

Just to keep lightning energized antenna cables away from wood, is what I am thinking.  Grounded or not, I treat antenna coax like a unfused power wire. 

Now, that 8" hole thru the grouted CMU is a fire proof penetration, i'll say.  I'm headed for just south of rochester.  THe house is pretty high on a clay hill, but i'm going to find out how much of the block is exposed on the exterior, near the tomb.  So, i've got the big four figured out, doored room, toilet, outside wall, and electrical access.  The rest is just details. 

Kevin, i like ur style.      do you have more than the 10m aerial?   We could talk someday on 75, if/when they let me put up a wire...