JP, I use #6 Bare Stranded wire run along the foundation of my house between the station ground (right outside my house next to my station), my mast ground (directly below by 24 foot push up stainless mast), the AT&T box ground, and the utility ground. They are all bonded using nuts or clamps. I also bonded the metal pipes in the house to that ground, as well as an exposed piece of rebar from my foundation. My equipment is all run with ground strap to a 3 foot long, 2” diameter copper pipe below my station, and that is bonded to the station ground rod. The goal is a common, low resistance to ground for everything in my house. I also use Alpha Delta switches for the antennas, so they are also grounded to the station ground, and have a position to ground all the antennas, so when my lightning detector goes off, all the antennas get switched to ground. Ron KE4DRF Sent from Mail for Windows JP you can, use a #6 ga wire or larger. Use a separate clamp on the house ground rod and clean with a wire brush or sand lightly before you add the clamp Robert From: BVARC <bvarc-boun...@bvarc.org> On Behalf Of JP Pritchard via BVARC
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2022 5:53 PM
To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <bvarc@bvarc.org>
Cc: JP Pritchard <jppn...@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [BVARC] Ground rod Robert, my shack ground rod is about 15 feet away from the house ground rod. Can I just run a heavy wire between the two as a good fix? My post only relates to if in fact you install a ground rod at your ham station, that it needs and under the NEC is required to be bonded (connected) to your house ground. Lets assume your house ground rod has a résistance of 22 ohms. You pound a rod at your shack in the earth that has a resistance 10 ohms Lightning strikes your power line behind your house. This high voltage pulse is seeking the least resistance path to earth. The house ground not the best, but to the lightning Gods you shack ground looks like a great path, using the 3rd prong of your power supply or the neutral side of the power cord, it seeks that ground, kind of frying any wiring or equipment in its travels. If both ground rods are bonded together, using ohms law, the total resistance is 6.88 ohms, much better ground, lightning has a low resistance path to earth not thru your gear. Also from a safety aspect (why the NEC requires bonding) if you loose a neutral connection at your power drop to your meter, or in your breaker box and your house ground is missing or poor, any grounded equipment in your house can have up to 120v on its chassis. If you were touching equipment in your shack the was connected to your shack ground and something grounded to your poor or non-existent house ground. You will be a cooking hot dog. Robert From: BVARC <bvarc-boun...@bvarc.org> On Behalf Of David Hold via BVARC
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2022 4:58 PM
To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <bvarc@bvarc.org>
Cc: David Hold <davidh...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [BVARC] Ground rod I will bet …. If you ohm out the negative post and chassis you will find out they are the same. If so just take negative to ground rod or wire under a chassis screw to ground. On Mon, May 23, 2022 at 4:51 PM Mike Knedr via BVARC <bvarc@bvarc.org> wrote: Thank you for the information. I have a semlex sec-1235m power supply. It doesn't seem to have a chassis ground like the radio and the tuner does. Does it need to be grounded? On Mon, May 23, 2022, 1:53 PM Robert Polinski via BVARC <bvarc@bvarc.org> wrote: Do not preform any electrical work unless you are comfortable as to what you are doing. Do not in any case ground the 3rd prong of an electrical cord to a ground rod that is not bonded to your electrical service. You could cause an electrical potential difference between ground thru your equipment or thru YOU. Remember, an earth ground has resistance. An electrical fault (short to chassis or ground) needs a low resistance path back to its source, a metal conductor, the earth can be a high resistance path. Low resistance will cause the protective device ( Breaker or fuse) to open. Robert KD5YVQ From: BVARC <bvarc-boun...@bvarc.org> On Behalf Of Joseph Benoit via BVARC
Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2022 8:59 AM
To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <bvarc@bvarc.org>
Cc: Joseph Benoit <wa3...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [BVARC] Ground rod Mike. Not a direct answer to your ground rod issue BUT upon inspection, you will find the wire feeding the outlet boxes probably does contain a ground wire, just that they didn't have three-prong outlets or continue grounds properly Not sure you want to tackle this BUT it is easy just time-consuming. After you've done a couple, maybe 15 minutes each. Experiment with one outlet to see if you are up to it. Look in your breaker panel and you will see a bunch of ground wires connected to the ground buss so obviously they go SOMEWHERE (just not terminated at the outlets and switches). Time to replace those old outlets and switches anyway. Don't buy the cheapest outlets, stick to made in USA; Proven to be better connections inside. You can fix the issue with the no-grounded outlets throughout the house and make things much safer. Buy an outlet tester (a few bucks; three LED's) if you don't have one. Get about 10 feet (jic) #14 solid copper wire green or whatever color.; stripping entirely bare if not green. Have a small assortment of appropriate wire nuts and electrical tape. Amazing how many three pronged outlets don't have any wire to ground screw although the bare ground wire is in there (sometimes just balled-up. Good time to identify what breaker does what and to make sure that breaker is OFF before you remove the outlet or light switch.. By getting to each and every outlet and switch and make sure the ground wires that are there are all connected to each other (may be multiple cables in same box) connect them all together adding a pig tail if it was cut too short. Add a short pigtail to the new 3-prong grounded receptacle. Also look at any junction boxes hiding in the attic. Have to be patient since, in an older house like ours, one room may feed another room and the problem won't resolve until all the grounds are tied together. One day project does the whole house. Good idea to take a wrap of tape around the receptacle or switch for safety (for safety and to keep that ground wire from touching where it shouldn't. ________________________________________________
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