I was told that, in addition to my eight-foot rod driven into the ground, I should ground my stuff to the electrical ground within the house. They said that if I didn't, I would get "ground loop". It seems to me that if I have two paths to ground (ground rod and electrical) I would definitely have ground loop. How would I know if I do?
Any thoughts, please?
The Other Howard, WA9RYF
----- Original Message -----
From: "Colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2014 5:31 PM
Subject: Re: Question about Ground Rods
> Sounds like a sound plan hi hi.
> nothing wrong with putting in grounds if that's what you want to do. What I
> meant was that you won't notice any kind of improved performance from a
> simple ground rod...that isn't why people have them.
>
> 73
> Colin, V A6BKX
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Mark" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2014 7:58 AM
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Question about Ground Rods
>
>> Hi Colin,
>>
>> I am sorry it took me this long to respond to your post. First, on the
>> type
>> of water pipe we have here, well, we live in the country, and use a well.
>> Thus, I am not sure but it is PVC pipe right up to the well. Easy for
>> whoever installed it, but bad for using as a ground.
>>
>> On the reasons for my wanting to install ground rods, I would like a
>> ground
>> rod near the base of the main antenna support for RF ground, and to
>> discharge static charges from the dry winter winds. It may help somewhat
>> in
>> reducing nearby lightning strikes. However, I highly doubt anything will
>> help with a direct strike. At 12 feet in height, my antenna is doubtful to
>> be the main thing lightening is attracted to. If it were taller, I would
>> be
>> more concerned about using it as a lightening rod.
>>
>> On the station end of the coax, I want a second ground rod simply because
>> according to everything I have read, it reduces RFI and my personal
>> experience is that my internal and external antenna tuners perform better
>> when grounded to an earth ground.
>>
>> These are the reasons I am working on grounding the station.
>>
>> When I lived in Kansas in the late 1980's and early 1990's I put up a
>> dipole
>> at 36 feet. It had a 6 or 8 foot ground rod. With 100 watts, I was able to
>> work Central and South America on 40 meters, and even in to Hawaii. I have
>> a
>> ton of cards some ware from those days. Smile. Thus, I am a big believer
>> in
>> getting a good station ground.
>>
>> May the God of your choosing bless you,
>> Mark (WZ0K)
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> On Behalf Of Colin McDonald
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 6, 2014 1:44 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: Question about Ground Rods
>>
>> firstly, why the ground rod, or rods?
>> Secondly, the depth of the ground rod will depend allot on the type of
>> soil
>> you are dealing with.
>> 6FT is typically the minimum recommended, 8 to 12 is generally better.
>> Are you thinking of earth ground for lightening, or RF ground for RFI
>> issues?
>> Also, I would be hugely surprised, in fact, flabbergasted if your main
>> water
>>
>> feed to the house was PVC. But, stranger things have been known to
>> happen.
>> I don't doubt all internal water piping is plastic, but most of the time,
>> anything city side of the meter will be metal.
>> There is also usually a water line access stem somewhere on the property
>> that can be attached to with use of a large hose clamp.
>> A general station ground is usually a good thing and you want to plant
>> your
>> ground rod as close to your operating position as possible to minimize the
>> length of the wire from your ground bus to the ground rod.
>> From what I recall, you aren't using any tall masts or towers...but just
>> determine weather there are any trees or buildings taller than your
>> antennas
>>
>> and this will give you a better idea if you need a lightening ground
>> system
>> in place with multiple rods etc.
>> Personally I have never ever noticed any performance difference between
>> having a ground rod and not having one. The station is grounded through
>> your household electrical system already (unless you are running strictly
>> battery power) so it's often redundant and unnecesary to have an
>> additional
>>
>> ground.
>> If you have masts or a tower taller than anything surrounding it, and you
>> are prone to lightening in the area, a couple ground rods around the
>> bottom
>> of the antenna support structure is never a bad idea to help shunt that
>> lightening to ground and not to your radio equipment...although, with
>> lightening, you are dealing with so much voltage that equipment often gets
>> fried regardless of how good your ground system is.
>> 73
>> Colin, V A6BKX
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: "Mark" <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2014 11:58 AM
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: Question about Ground Rods
>>
>>> Hi Carolyn,
>>>
>>> Thank you for the encouraging words about the ground rods. Unfortunately,
>>> I
>>> believe all the water pipes around here are PVC. It is good to know that
>>> 4
>>> foot rods might work.
>>>
>>> God bless,
>>> Mark (WZ0K)
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: For blind ham radio operators
>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>>> On Behalf Of carolyn johnson
>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 6, 2014 11:25 AM
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: Re: Question about Ground Rods
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I have two four foot ones that I used to use, and that seemed to do fine.
>>> If
>>>
>>> worse comes to worse, you could always run wire to a water pipe.
>>>
>>> Carolyn Kj4vt
>>>
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>> From: "Mark" <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2014 10:43 AM
>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Subject: Question about Ground Rods
>>>
>>>> Hi
>>>>
>>>> I know that the ultimate in grounding would be to sink an 8 foot ground
>>>> rod.
>>>> However, the budget is dictating that should wait for a while. So, I am
>>>> left
>>>> with two options. First, I could just ignore grounding the antennas and
>>>> radio. They are after all working pretty well right now. Or, I could go
>>>> with
>>>> a 3/8 inch 3 foot ground rod that fits the budget. Actually, I would buy
>>>> 2
>>>> of them. So, the question is: is it even worth putting down a ground rod
>>>> that is less than 8 feet?
>>>>
>>>> God bless,
>>>> Mark (WZ0K)
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