house base station antenna grounding

[billybobears]

Hello fellow listeners:

I just mounted a Bearcat antenna on a 3/4 " 10 foot high piece of galvinized conduit along side of my house - putting the antenna about 5-6 feet above roof line....I don't "do" roofs so I couldn't get any higher or believe me, I would have....I live in a valley in Northern New Jersey (Wanaque (very little reception due to mountains all around us)) where we get maybe 6-8 vigorous thunderstorms a year with some nearby lightning strikes and my hosue is surrounded by trees that average 60-80 feet in height. We've never been "hit" by lgihting nor have the trees, so far as we know.

Question is this: I went to Home Depot and picked up an 8 foot copper ground rod, some # 4 open copper strand wire, and a a few clamps. Help at Home Depot told me to drive the copper rod (as much of the eight feet) into the ground for good protection. If cannot do so due to rocks (and we have a lot of 'em) - go as deep possible, cut the excess above ground and drive in a second rod and clamp that to the first rod, using the same # 4 wire.
So now I will have a "ground field" of sorts, (I guess).....

First: will this work to protect the house in case the antenna takes a lighting hit, either direct or "fragmented" from a hit to a nearby treee?

Second, do I need additional ground or surge protection at the point of entry to the house and for the coax cable as well?

I'm not protecting anything too valuable in the way of my scanner - it's a Bearcat BC898T - but I'm attempting to protect everything in my life (and my wife) with the house and all the other electronic goodies we have, lights, refrigerator, microwave and stove not counted.

I got into this because we never had a big ole' stick of metal sticking up into the air above our humble abode before and prior to next spring when that occassional thunder-blaster rolls through, I want to be ready for the worst possible scenario.....

Any help - much appreciated - as usual - I find that there's a lot of wisdom out here and you're all mightly generous in sharing same.....

Thanks folks!

Happy listening.....

Bill

 

[n5ims]

First off, see this thread, which will answer many of your questions --> http://forums.radioreference.com/an...e-antenna-grounding-lightning-protection.html

Make sure to check the site from that thread as well (copied here due to its importance) --> Station Grounding

Answers to your questions are:
1. It will help to protect your house, but lightning will do what it wants, where it wants, and when it wants. Unless you have an extreamly well designed, installed, and maintained lightning protection (like those on radio & TV towers), a direct hit will most likely cause damage. If you follow good advice and properly install (a normal install, not like those radio & TV towers) your ground will minimize the damage. In many cases, you'll have less risk of a lightning strike with a well grounded antenna than with no antenna at all.
2. This is a multi-part question. You should ground your coax where it enters the house. If not, any lightning will find a good path inside even if your tower is well grounded. Your antenna ground should (must really) be bonded (attached) to your house's electrical system's ground rod, normally where your meter is (if on your house) or near your fuse/breaker box (if meter is on the pole). See the "Common Grounding" page in the link above on this.

I generally don't count on a single ground rod. You must bound things together anyway, so why not make a better system in the process. I generally do a "T" system near the tower. Four (or more) ground rods where the antenna will be grounded. Three in a line along the house and the fourth away from the house. Each rod should be spaced their length away from eachother, if possible. The out-of-line one in the "T" may need to be closer, depending on your lot size, but that's OK. These are bonded together with the electrical entrance ground as well. If that's more than the ground rod length away, the best practice is to place ground rods along the way as well.

 

[N0IU]

Many years ago there was a lightning strike about 100 yards from our house and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty! Fortunately, there was no damage to any of my ham gear, at least not from the antennas (or is that antennae?), but the worst of the damage in the house came from the electrical spikes! Almost nothing that was plugged into an outlet survived. After that, my electrical service provider put a whole-house lightning arrestor on the meter base. They guarantee the larger items such as appliances against lightning damage. As far as "sensitive" electronics like the TV's, I use surge protectors at the outlet.

Good luck!