carsonbm
Member
I just bought a Diamond Discone antenna and I am wondering if needs to be grounded?
Antenna ground?
- Thread starter carsonbm
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Thae antenna itself doesn't need to grounded to operate. Grounding the mast is a good idea since you live in an area of frequent thunderstorms. There's a good article on mast grounding at http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/hdreception/antenna_grounding.html . It's about TV antennas but the advice applies equally to scanner antennas.
Swipesy
Member
I second SAR2401 opinion to ground the mast. It only takes one unlucky lightening strike and goodbye radio.
N
nmfire10
Guest
Swipesy said:
I hate to spoil the party but that is a little over optomistic. If you take lightning hit, your radio is toast no matter how much grounding you do. It's a gonner. Why bother then? A properly grounded system will blow up your radio and probably melt some coax. A system with no grounding will blow up your radio, vaporize the coax, and set your house on fire. You do the math
An indirect strike (say to a nearby tree) could leave you with no damage at all with proper grounding. But a direct strike is going to kill something no matter what you do.
fourwd1
Member
In addition to the safety factor, grounding the antenna/mast helps dissipate static electricity, which shows up as increased noise level in the receiver.
carsonbm
Member
Anntenna grounding
How do ypou guys ground the antenna, do you drive a copper pipe into the ground and run a wire from the antenna mast?
How do ypou guys ground the antenna, do you drive a copper pipe into the ground and run a wire from the antenna mast?
You can buy an 8' long 5/8" ground rod and the proper clamp for it at home depot. Also get a "J" clamp that will fit your mast. They have bare #6 copper wire to use to run between the rod and the mast. Try to run it in a straight line as possible. (No sharp turns) Like that other guy said, if your house gets hit it will probably ruin some or all of your solid state electronics anyway.
Lightning hit the power line behind ny brothers' house and it ruined the dishwasher controls, VCR, and sony TV--and the lights even stayed on.
Lightning hit the power line behind ny brothers' house and it ruined the dishwasher controls, VCR, and sony TV--and the lights even stayed on.
N
N_Jay
Guest
If you live in an area with a significant amount of lightining, and your antenna is the tallest thing around,
THEN
you should take serious procautions! :wink:
http://www.polyphaser.com/default.asp
THEN
you should take serious procautions! :wink:
http://www.polyphaser.com/default.asp
nd5y
Member
If you install an antenna, feedline and ground system which doesn't meet
electrical codes and lightning hits it and burns your house down, your
insurance company might not have to pay you anything.
Tom
electrical codes and lightning hits it and burns your house down, your
insurance company might not have to pay you anything.
Tom
MetalManMI
Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2003
- Messages
- 217
One important (but often overlooked) factor to consider when grounding your antenna....
You need to bond this additional ground to your structure's grounding electrode system. Your house already has a ground rod (or two) and wire bonding it/them to your power distribution panel (main disconnect). Creating a new path for potential fault current to travel can create unpredictable ground paths and other potential shock hazards (your "new" ground path may have less resistance than the established one for your entire home's electrical system, therefore, fault current from anywhere in your home may travel right through the chasis of your radio and out to the "new" ground path). Bonding your new (antenna) ground to your home's grounding electrode system prevents this from happening.
8)
You need to bond this additional ground to your structure's grounding electrode system. Your house already has a ground rod (or two) and wire bonding it/them to your power distribution panel (main disconnect). Creating a new path for potential fault current to travel can create unpredictable ground paths and other potential shock hazards (your "new" ground path may have less resistance than the established one for your entire home's electrical system, therefore, fault current from anywhere in your home may travel right through the chasis of your radio and out to the "new" ground path). Bonding your new (antenna) ground to your home's grounding electrode system prevents this from happening.
8)
I think he was worried about lightning; not "fault current". I have never seen 1 ground rod have less resistance than a properly grounded electrical service that has a water pipe ground in addition to a ground rod.
That is why the NEC says you never need a larger wire than 6 CU to connect to a 8' 5/8" ground rod--
Please explain from where in the house this fault current will come, and why is it going to go thru a radio that is running on a wall wart or batteries?
That is why the NEC says you never need a larger wire than 6 CU to connect to a 8' 5/8" ground rod--
Please explain from where in the house this fault current will come, and why is it going to go thru a radio that is running on a wall wart or batteries?
MetalManMI
Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2003
- Messages
- 217
Thayne said:Please explain from where in the house this fault current will come, and why is it going to go thru a radio that is running on a wall wart or batteries?
In those two examples, you'd not likely see fault current becoming a problem. However, when your rig has a grounding plug and your antenna ground is newer....everything is nice and tight/clean...the grounding electrode conductor has come loose from the old rod and/or the old, corroded water pipe connection, etc., etc....you may encounter some problems! Possibly deadly problems.
#6 is the minimum size to be used to bond to the existing ground system/rod, when adding an additional electrode (ground rod). This should help:
Ground Article
8)
The craziest thing I saw relating to grounds is once we had to fix a house that had a fire in the attic--and the fire dept cut the power to the house until we found the problem.
What happened is that the hypress connector for the neutral connection to the power drop had gotten loose and corroded. (Aluminum to copper)
The lady said she smelled something burning whenever she used the window air conditioners and noticed the lights dim or flicker; but she never did anything about it.
One afternoon a fire started in the attic. There were 3 places where fires started, mostly where the "baling wire" that was supporting the heating ducts was touching the BX cable that was used to wire the house.
We figured that since the neutral had basically "gone away", all the neutral current was trying to go thru the baling wire which was somewhat grounded. Weird huh! l
What happened is that the hypress connector for the neutral connection to the power drop had gotten loose and corroded. (Aluminum to copper)
The lady said she smelled something burning whenever she used the window air conditioners and noticed the lights dim or flicker; but she never did anything about it.
One afternoon a fire started in the attic. There were 3 places where fires started, mostly where the "baling wire" that was supporting the heating ducts was touching the BX cable that was used to wire the house.
We figured that since the neutral had basically "gone away", all the neutral current was trying to go thru the baling wire which was somewhat grounded. Weird huh! l
Question in regards to the grounding issue;
I just had a 10ft. tripod/mast/Scantenna setup installed on my roof. The outwardmost leg of the tripod base is probably 5 to 6 feet from the side edge of the house. I am definitely going to setup a grounding system ASAP, but it looks as if the groundwire will be running along the shingles of the roof for a short length due to where the tripod is setup.
The nearest side of the house, in relation to the tripod, has a large deck built off of it, so I will more than likely have to run the groundwire down the roof toward the back yard. Is the groundwire safe if it is running/touching the roof shingles? Also, should I avoid the groundwire coming in contact with any part of the aluminum gutters?
If this is not the safest setup, I may have to run the groundwire toward the opposite side of the house, and down the side to the ground rod. This would require a fairly lenghty run of ground wire, but if it turns out to be the safest method then so be it. Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I just had a 10ft. tripod/mast/Scantenna setup installed on my roof. The outwardmost leg of the tripod base is probably 5 to 6 feet from the side edge of the house. I am definitely going to setup a grounding system ASAP, but it looks as if the groundwire will be running along the shingles of the roof for a short length due to where the tripod is setup.
The nearest side of the house, in relation to the tripod, has a large deck built off of it, so I will more than likely have to run the groundwire down the roof toward the back yard. Is the groundwire safe if it is running/touching the roof shingles? Also, should I avoid the groundwire coming in contact with any part of the aluminum gutters?
If this is not the safest setup, I may have to run the groundwire toward the opposite side of the house, and down the side to the ground rod. This would require a fairly lenghty run of ground wire, but if it turns out to be the safest method then so be it. Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks.
carsonbm
Member
Antenna
Do they make any flexable ground cable? :evil:
Do they make any flexable ground cable? :evil:
N
nmfire10
Guest
It is all flexible. It is like solid, uninsulated 6 gauge wire. It is flexiable.
carsonbm
Member
Antenna
I am talking about some kind of braided wire.
I am talking about some kind of braided wire.
N
N_Jay
Guest
Re: Antenna
Depending on the particular codes involved, you may be able to use stranded wire.
Typically if you use stranded you use insullated wire (to protect the strands)
Remember, the codes are written for minimum safety. They do not always align with the best way to do something.
carsonbm said:
Depending on the particular codes involved, you may be able to use stranded wire.
Typically if you use stranded you use insullated wire (to protect the strands)
Remember, the codes are written for minimum safety. They do not always align with the best way to do something.
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