what size ground strap

[screamin voodoo]

I was wondering what size of braided copper ground strap I need to use for grounding my equipment in my base rig. I see that 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 are popular sizes. Is wider better or does it really matter? should I use strap intead of wire to go from my ground bus to my ground rods.

thanks,
screamin voodoo

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Flat strap is better than braid and braid is better than wire. Whatever you use bigger and wider is better.

 

[SR385]

It is about the skin effect, so the more surface area the better. For my shack equipment I use flex braid that is about 1 1/4" so I can move the equipment around more easily. Ideally solid copper flashing strips are better, cut to 2-4" wide, but obviously you need to have the equipment solidly in place.

For the braid, take the ends and gather them together into a crimp lug and crimp them in. Then heat that up and flood it with solder. For the flat ends, tin them all together with solder.

For the ground bus, the single point to attach them all, I used 1" copper pipe cut to about 24" with stainless hose clamps to tie all the ground braids to the same point.

My ground wire feed to the outside ground point is 2ga copper and I used a hose clamp to tie that to the copper pipe bus as well.

Periodically, check the mechanical connections to be sure they are tight, sand up the copper to keep the contact clean and apply some 'tune-up' or dielectric grease to the contact points.

Grounding equipment helps out a lot with avoiding noise in the shack, not to mention with RF in the shack as well.

 

[hotrod]

flat one as wide as ya can get.then make it as short as possible

 

[W5LZ]

I think I would go along with the solid strap, rather than just plain copper braid. If the braid is tinned, then okay, but not otherwise (copper + moisture = rotten copper). The size/width depends on how much current the thing has to be able to handle. In general, bigger is better to some ridiculous point. Just like with trees, the closer to the roots you get (dirt ground) the larger the limbs (ground strap). Again, till it gets sort of ridiculously large.
Especially at the ground point (dirt), but for any ground connection, a mechanical connection is better than a soldered one. High current usually means heat and heat will 'do in' a solder joint, making it not a ground anymore.
What's the absolute bestest ground to have? Probably a sheet of copper 1 inch thick and 3 feet wide. If you should ever put one of these thingys in, would you please take pictures?? See what I mean about some ridiculous point?
- 'Doc