I am using an 8ft ground rod antenna mast is clamped to the ground rod. mast is 15ft. and antenna is a sigma4. noticing a increase in static level this summer. a local station suggested watering my ground rod. this dropped the static froms5 - s7 to s2-s4after watering the area by the ground rod the static drops slowly. and stays lower for a few days.this cycle has been repeated several times in the past few months. so it seems that improving the ground helps reduce static. 8ft copper plated steel ground rod at the base of the mast and clamped to the mast. radio is an icom 718 static level is with the preamp on. noise dropped from s5-s7 to s2 tos-4 in a few hours.
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ground rods and static
- Thread starter billsjca
- Start date
B
BOOTY MONSTER
Guest
The static reduction effect you're seeing COULD be due to your ground watering and could be something else as suggested above. Each station setup is different. IF you are in fact seeing a noise reduction effect from grounding improvement.....then I would dig down around your ground rod about 3 feet down or however much further you can reach....also making the dig about 1 foot circular around the hole, then fill the hole with 50/50 mixture of pea gravel and rock salt (ice cream salt - available at any grocery store). Then once of twice a week fill this area with water during dry times.
good luck
good luck
B
BOOTY MONSTER
Guest
FWIU salting the ground is a waste of time unless its done over a very large area surrounding the antenna . but i still have a lot to learn .
RatsoW8
Supporting Member, W9WDX ARC Member - WD8T
I'd say the reduction in noise after watering the ground rod is coincidental. At that noise level it's most likely a transformer, plasma TV or other noisy electrical device close by.
Start by shutting down you house mains and running the radio from a 12v battery. If it's still there you know it's not originating in your home but close by somewhere. This is when the fun starts!!! If you suspect a transformer and you're a licensed ham the local power company will send out their noise guy to locate the faulty transformer or fuse. Not sure they'll do it for CB radio interference since it's not a licensed service.
Start by shutting down you house mains and running the radio from a 12v battery. If it's still there you know it's not originating in your home but close by somewhere. This is when the fun starts!!! If you suspect a transformer and you're a licensed ham the local power company will send out their noise guy to locate the faulty transformer or fuse. Not sure they'll do it for CB radio interference since it's not a licensed service.
http://www.worldwidedx.com/installa...y-contribution-about-lighting-protection.html
A static discharge coil in conjunction with a 20ft stainless ground rod, using silicon-Bronze bonding clamps might do the trick.
The 6″ diameter coil measures about 54 uH, which at 1.8MHz is about XL=611 ohms. The coil theoretically blocks lightning surge and passes static build up, It sure did for this gentleman.
Barrowed from N0FP's site Lightning protection « ALL THINGS RADIO @ NØFP
A static discharge coil in conjunction with a 20ft stainless ground rod, using silicon-Bronze bonding clamps might do the trick.
The 6″ diameter coil measures about 54 uH, which at 1.8MHz is about XL=611 ohms. The coil theoretically blocks lightning surge and passes static build up, It sure did for this gentleman.
Barrowed from N0FP's site Lightning protection « ALL THINGS RADIO @ NØFP
Static and interference
Years ago I bought a galaxy Saturn base and could not use it from static noise. Quiet when the powerlines were wet! I called the power company and was told by a friend if they were causeing the problem they have to fix it.They sent a man out with a hand held antenna and headphones.He found the problem and 3 days later the pole truck was out for the whole day changeing insulators up and down the street. It's been quiet for 10 years now. I hear you can find the cause with an am radio transistor type tuned to an empty frequency and take a walk around all the poles and transformers in the block....Good luck
Years ago I bought a galaxy Saturn base and could not use it from static noise. Quiet when the powerlines were wet! I called the power company and was told by a friend if they were causeing the problem they have to fix it.They sent a man out with a hand held antenna and headphones.He found the problem and 3 days later the pole truck was out for the whole day changeing insulators up and down the street. It's been quiet for 10 years now. I hear you can find the cause with an am radio transistor type tuned to an empty frequency and take a walk around all the poles and transformers in the block....Good luck