I've got a RS discone antenna and my run is about 65ft. Can someone give me some advice as to which coax I should use with this? I know I should only go 50ft. but I don't have a choice with my 85 year old grandmother at the helm!"I'm sure most of you can relate" I've only got one scanner, so I'm trying to pull in as much as possible with it. 2 other questions I have is, 1 -Should I ground my antenna mast? and 2 - Lightning suppressor, should I use it? If you guys could help me out I'd appreciate it. The Wiki on the coax is confusing me even more as I'm pretty new to this. Thanks for the help.
Need some advice on hooking this up!
- Thread starter frodin1
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Good lord, there sure is a ton of info to read on lightning, and grounding. I really don't think I need some expensive grounding system for this. I was just wondering if it's smart to bang a rod into the ground and attach it to the mast? If somebody could suggest a brand or model lightning suppressor that will be good for a basic scanner hookup please let me know. There appears to be about a million out there, and most look like gimmicky crap.
At the minimum install and ground to NEC code. Here is a link to some easy to understand code info:
Installing radio and TV antenna systems
prcguy
Installing radio and TV antenna systems
prcguy
Will RG8 be ok for this long of a run or should I go with something else? I had RG6 quad shield on it before and it was fine, however it was only 20 ft away. I'm not sure about the distance of the antenna affecting my signal strength because of loss. I'm not too concerned about pulling in long distances, because we live above the city.
RG6 quad shield is excellent cable at even 75' however DO ground your mast to a cold water pipe or cable tv ground!
73,
n9zas
good advice
Hes right about the RG6 but grounging a 8 foot ,1/2 inch diameter copper pipe right next to the base of your pushup pole just pound it into the ground and use 10 gauge copper wire and connect it with clamps.Now thats a ground. Good Luck
Hes right about the RG6 but grounging a 8 foot ,1/2 inch diameter copper pipe right next to the base of your pushup pole just pound it into the ground and use 10 gauge copper wire and connect it with clamps.Now thats a ground. Good Luck
I ended up using some custom made clamps to mount the pole to the house. I then got a copper ground clamp to attach to the mast. I don't have any access to water pipes or cable tv right were it's mounted, so I was planning on doing the burial thing as you suggested home121. The only thing is, I don't know what to do about a lightning suppressor. If anybody can recommend one that isn't going to require a second mortgage, I'd appreciate it.
About that grounding, it's a very good idea to take a look at the NEC (National Electrical Code)! May sound like 'over-kill', but it isn't, there's more to it than you might think. A single ground rod is seldom very useful.
As for that 'lightning arrestor', you're on your own, that's another one of those "not so simple" thingys. The typical 'spark-gap' type arrestor is totally useless. By the time the current flow is enough to bridge that gap it's already in whatever is on the end of that feed line.
- 'Doc
As for that 'lightning arrestor', you're on your own, that's another one of those "not so simple" thingys. The typical 'spark-gap' type arrestor is totally useless. By the time the current flow is enough to bridge that gap it's already in whatever is on the end of that feed line.
- 'Doc
Houses used to be grounded using a standard "solid" ground rod, and as it turns out these aren't even easily found anymore, just the plated ones. So wouldn't tapping into a outlet box or water pipe be the same thing? All the pipes out here are PVC, so that is out. No cable, because we're in the sticks. So I don't have much of an option here. The satellite, I have no idea how that was grounded, or if it is at all? Our houses have an evil static issue too, because we live in the desert, and running A/C. Our humidity today was 3%. That usually equals a serious pop when you touch anything. I always ground myself "or shock myself" before turning anything on, just to avoid issues.
n5ims
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Quick answer is "No", with a longer answer "not even close". Think about what would happen if lightning struck and you simply grounded your antenna to the closest outlet box. Lightning (1 million volts pushing enormous aperage) would flow from the outside, down your coax (or ground wire) INSIDE YOUR HOUSE to your electrical system and quickly fry everything connected to it (including a real possiblity of both your house and even the occupants!). I doubt that's what you'd like to happen. Grounding to your water pipe, cable or satelite line (except for possibly where it enters your house) will also bring a strike directly into your house so they're not good options either.
With the static issue you have, it's quite important that a good ground be provided. That shock you feel could easily fry your scanner's sensitive circuitry. Static from low humidity not only builds up inside, but on your antenna system as well (unless you've provided a good ground system to safely discharge it as it starts to build).
Lightning normally flows on the outside of the wires or ground rods so a plated ground rod works just as well as a solid copper one would (actually better since you're not deforming it as badly pounding it into the ground).
a solid ground rod could be purchased at a electrical supply house, but by the sounds of the climate and area being desert like, a single ground rod would probally not do much good, multiple ground rods may be needed to get a good ground, you may want to hire/ ask an electrician with a ground meter for help with achieving this
First off, I wasn't asking about what would happen if lightning struck when you ground to an outlet, or a pipe. What I was saying is your still just grounding to a copper rod that's buried into the ground, if you attach to an outlet or pipe. I'm saying this because these are all things I've seen people recommend on this forum.
Using anything copper "especially the size of wire people have recommended on here" for lightning is actually intriguing anyhow considering lightning rods and the wire that's attached, is actually made from uninsulated braided aluminum and not copper. Anything copper will most likely build so much heat, that it's bound to light up like a fuse, and burn your house down anyhow, that is if it doesn't just vaporize from the amount of amperage that's passed through it. Any direct hit's from lightning to a scanner antenna mounted on anybody's roof, and they're going to be having some serious problems regardless, and a single strand of #4 copper wire is not going to prevent it from destroying everything it comes into contact with. We had a strike a few years ago that didn't even hit our home, and it still took out 2 TV's a fridge.
The question about grounding was purely for grounding static build up on my antenna. Not to prevent lightning, that's why I asked what people were using for a lightning suppression?
As far as what's on this house is anybody's guess?
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Using anything copper "especially the size of wire people have recommended on here" for lightning is actually intriguing anyhow considering lightning rods and the wire that's attached, is actually made from uninsulated braided aluminum and not copper. Anything copper will most likely build so much heat, that it's bound to light up like a fuse, and burn your house down anyhow, that is if it doesn't just vaporize from the amount of amperage that's passed through it. Any direct hit's from lightning to a scanner antenna mounted on anybody's roof, and they're going to be having some serious problems regardless, and a single strand of #4 copper wire is not going to prevent it from destroying everything it comes into contact with. We had a strike a few years ago that didn't even hit our home, and it still took out 2 TV's a fridge.
The question about grounding was purely for grounding static build up on my antenna. Not to prevent lightning, that's why I asked what people were using for a lightning suppression?
As far as what's on this house is anybody's guess?
- Show quoted text -
Do like the typical broadcast stations do. Directly 'short' that antenna to ground through a high impedance coil. That high impedance is related to the frequency(s) of use. Measure the resistance to ground with an ohm meter and it'll be very low. Do that measuring with AC at the frequencies of use and it'll be an open circuit. Ain't that RF stuff fun? 
- 'Doc
- 'Doc
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Proper grounding - both RF and DC - is such a vital topic, it would make a terrific wiki article. Any takers?
best regards..Mike
best regards..Mike
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