Grounding points must be bonded according to the NEC(in the US), all ground rods and interconnecting conductors must meet the standard. If you are connecting an antenna coax and mast to an existing service panel ground the conductor can be no smaller that #10 AWG, but if you are using another ground rod for RF or station ground then the conductor between ground rods must be #6 AWG or larger. I wish I could find my NEC book, I am sure it made a difference if the grounding conductor was solid or stranded wire
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Grounding
- Thread starter W1MSG
- Start date
Grounding points must be bonded according to the NEC(in the US), all ground rods and interconnecting conductors must meet the standard. If you are connecting an antenna coax and mast to an existing service panel ground the conductor can be no smaller that #10 AWG, but if you are using another ground rod for RF or station ground then the conductor between ground rods must be #6 AWG or larger. I wish I could find my NEC book, I am sure it made a difference if the grounding conductor was solid or stranded wire
We have the same requirements here as well. Main grounds to a ground rod are to be no smaller than 6 ga. but not sure about the bonding to an existing panel. All I ever see is 6 ga. run for all grounds up here. All grounds I see use stranded wire. (I think) Next year when I put in a new tower I will have a real grounding issue on my hands. It will be about 100 feet from my service entrance ground and on the opposite end of the house.
"... potential for a difference in voltage drop between the antenna and the equipment chassis and since the two are connected via the coax cable or even the third wire in the AC cord.. "
thats EXACTLY what i was refering to in my origional post,...... you have two grounds, that may be at different potentials. they are connected by one common item............ your radio:blink:
you should connect your antenna mast ground to your service drop ground.
ground is not always zero volts
something i forgot to put in the prev post.
many people DO disconnect the coax during a storm (don't forget to put the end in a MASON jar)
people using a rotor on a directional antenna, often forget that the rotor wiring also comes into the shack and leave that connected.
something i forgot to put in the prev post.
many people DO disconnect the coax during a storm (don't forget to put the end in a MASON jar
) people using a rotor on a directional antenna, often forget that the rotor wiring also comes into the shack and leave that connected.
something i forgot to put in the prev post.
many people DO disconnect the coax during a storm (don't forget to put the end in a MASON jar
people using a rotor on a directional antenna, often forget that the rotor wiring also comes into the shack and leave that connected.
Where the hell am I supposed to put my shine??>
Well I really did get some good info from this post and have changed the layout on my grounding a bit.
I have tied the rod on the back of the house to the main ground for the house.
I will be adding some radials off the rod out back a couple inches deep, probably 6 of them about 10 feet or so as room permits.
Still need to get a couple of Polyphasers so I can ground the antenna coax, and I am waiting on some 1" grounding straps to come in.
It may not be a perfect set up, but its better than no ground at all ...
I have tied the rod on the back of the house to the main ground for the house.
I will be adding some radials off the rod out back a couple inches deep, probably 6 of them about 10 feet or so as room permits.
Still need to get a couple of Polyphasers so I can ground the antenna coax, and I am waiting on some 1" grounding straps to come in.
It may not be a perfect set up, but its better than no ground at all ...
Dr. Zeus - didn't he write stuff like
"I do not like green eggs and pork.
I do not like them Sam, you dork.".
"I do not like green eggs and pork.
I do not like them Sam, you dork.".
Actually there are grounding systems that will prevent damage and they are used all the time, here's video of the CN Tower getting struck This happens all the time and there is no damage, it's really neat when you're on the tower and it gets struck too. I doubt most of use could afford the grounding system in the CN Tower, but then we probably aren't as big a target as the tower either.
You can start out with a modest ground system and add to it as you can or want to. We use to have a saying "don't lets perfect be the enemy of good", many people don't do anything because they can't do it perfectly when good might just be good enough.
You can start out with a modest ground system and add to it as you can or want to. We use to have a saying "don't lets perfect be the enemy of good", many people don't do anything because they can't do it perfectly when good might just be good enough.
Think I would just toss the coax out of the room altogether until the storm has passed.
Besides, I don't have any mason jars.
Besides, I don't have any mason jars.
