On 10/17/14, 8:17 AM, Chris Albertson wrote:
You can use metal conduit as the bonding conductor between grounding
systems, for one thing.
That works fine, but I think it is disallowed by the electrical code. If
you used metallic conduit it MUST be grounded but you can't use it for
grounding. That said, it does work. I think the danger the electric code
addresses is that connections between conduit sections become loose over
time and might corrode.
The metallic raceway (code speak for conduit) is allowed to be the
bonding conductor (bonding conductor = "greenwire" or "electrical
safety" ground in code speak). Properly installed conduit will have a
good connection, etc..
When interconnecting multiple grounding electrodes or electrode systems
is where the requirements for particular gauges of wire come in, and
mostly it has to do with mechanical strength and reliability. You can
use a smaller conductor if it is protected inside something, for
instance. The other rule is that the bonding conductor has to be
continuous (the concern you mentioned about connections becoming loose,
etc).
http://lightning.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Bonding-2013-ULPA-LPI-rev1.pdf
is a very nice summary
Mike Holt (http://www.mikeholt.com/) has a great website on all code
related issues, and he's written a bunch of articles that explain the
code and the rationale behind the requirements.
http://ecmweb.com/code-basics/grounding-and-bonding-part-1-3
And when it comes to antennas and the like, you're in a different
section of the code 810, 820, and the requirements for the grounding
conductor (and whether coax shield can be that grounding conductor) are
all laid out there.
In many case, the coax shield can serve as the grounding conductor, but
only if there are no connectors in the path (i.e. you have to have a
clamp that directly contacts the shield where it interconnects with the
building grounding system). A barrel feedthrough in a grounded metal
panel doesn't meet the strict requirements of the code (although
personally, I think it's a fine solution)
One thing to remember about the NEC requirements is that the "threat"
they are protecting against with the grounding and bonding requirements
is NOT a lightning strike. It's contact with an energized conductor
(e.g. a power line touches your antenna or supporting structure).
That's a whole lot more common (wind storms, etc.) NFPA 780 is the
lightning protection code, and has a lot more "lightning protection"
aspects.
The NEC cares almost nothing about transient protection, the concern is
more about electrical shocks and burning the building down.
Furthermore, the NEC really only regulates the wiring in your building,
and nothing that is connected to it, nor does it regulate the wiring of
the power company.
There are two tomes of reference I use for transient protection: one is
IEEE 1100 (the Emerald Book) which has gone under many names over the
years (politics.. computer manufacturers did not want their equipment
described as "sensitive electronic equipment")
http://standards.ieee.org/findstds/standard/1100-2005.html
The other is "Protection of Electronic Circuits from Overvoltages" by
R.B. Standler.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?index=books&linkCode=qs&keywords=9780486425528
http://store.doverpublications.com/0486425525.html
And, if you're at the Dover Pubs store.. take a look at the books about
lightning from Martin Uman. Very readable, lots of technical info.
I think the threaded conduit would work fine. That stuff is like water
pipe but smoother inside.
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