I have put together a base station with a Uniden Bearcat 980SSB, with a Tram 1499 i have installed on my roof. My question is in regards to lightning protection ground. How is this done, do i bury the coax prior to it entering my home? Do i run a separate ground wire to the ground? If i need to run a separate ground wire where do i connect it at the antenna end? On the mount? Sorry this is my first run at this radio set up.
-
To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:
Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.
If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.
To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.
The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.
For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).
This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.
CB base station antenna grounding question
- Thread starter nfernaays
- Start date
- Status
A ground will make things work better but if on your roof harder to ground. Yes attach to your mount and run to a ground rod near your house. Run the coax any convenient route to your shack.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
Does that help with lightning protection as well? I thought that just meant that my antenna didn't require a ground plane for reception purposes
A ground plane is for RF performance, a ground is required for static and lightning protection. DO NOT confuse the two. If you do not ground your antenna and mast properly, your coax can draw lightning into your house and cause fires and other damage even if the radio is disconnected.
Sounds like a plan...Do i connect the ground wire to the mount or the antenna? should i run the ground next to the coax or should the ground be run opposite of the coax?
Thank you guys for the help!
Read the PDF I linked in post #2. Your tower or mast must be grounded to its own ground rod. #10 wire is not big enough. The ground rod for the tower and the ground rod for the house must also be connected together. The coax must also be grounded at the point where it enters your house.
ALL grounds must be bonded together. That includes bonding your coax ground rod at the house to your house ground rods. If you have multiple rods, they must all be bonded together. If you don't you WILL have a voltage potential between anything connected to the house ground and the radio connected to the coax ground. This might cause ugliness, such as mic burns, hum etc.
There are many internet sources with diagrams for proper grounding.
Also, as one poster mentioned, #10 is too thin. You should use #6 or #4 and as short a length as possible.
If you disconnect during a lightning storm, cap the coax ends to reduce the possibility of lightning jumping from the end of the coax to nearby objects. I learned this less the hard way. I used to just disconnect. One night during a very close severe thunderstorm, I actually saw lightning jump from the end of my coax to the nearby wall. It left a big burn mark on the wall. I was very lucky that it didn't burn down my house.
Also, during a lightning storm, disconnect ALL connections to radio equipment. That includes power, ethernet, antenna, USB, and anything else you might have connected. That's the ONLY way to ensure you don't have toasted equipment. I learned this the hard way as well. I disconnected everything during one storm, but forgot a single ethernet connection. My main router took a hit and it toasted everything connected to it via ethernet (numerous devices).
Finally, if you are an ARRL member, look into the ARRL insurance. It's inexpensive, has a very low deductible, and they typically pay very quickly with little or no hassle. It's specifically for radio and connected equipment (e.g. computers).
73 - David, AG4F
There are many internet sources with diagrams for proper grounding.
Also, as one poster mentioned, #10 is too thin. You should use #6 or #4 and as short a length as possible.
If you disconnect during a lightning storm, cap the coax ends to reduce the possibility of lightning jumping from the end of the coax to nearby objects. I learned this less the hard way. I used to just disconnect. One night during a very close severe thunderstorm, I actually saw lightning jump from the end of my coax to the nearby wall. It left a big burn mark on the wall. I was very lucky that it didn't burn down my house.
Also, during a lightning storm, disconnect ALL connections to radio equipment. That includes power, ethernet, antenna, USB, and anything else you might have connected. That's the ONLY way to ensure you don't have toasted equipment. I learned this the hard way as well. I disconnected everything during one storm, but forgot a single ethernet connection. My main router took a hit and it toasted everything connected to it via ethernet (numerous devices).
Finally, if you are an ARRL member, look into the ARRL insurance. It's inexpensive, has a very low deductible, and they typically pay very quickly with little or no hassle. It's specifically for radio and connected equipment (e.g. computers).
73 - David, AG4F
Attached is a rough sketch of my set up.
Purple is my antenna
Green is the mount
Pink is the coax trail going into my house
Red is the location of the homes electrical ground
Do i run a ground from the mount (green) , straight down to the ground (new ground rod)
or
Do i run the ground to the home ground (red)
I also take it by your comment i should run a ground from the (pink) coax to a separate ground rod. (this would be near the bottom of the sketch
Attachments
The mast/mount should have a heavy ground wire (#8 or larger) taking the most direct path to its own 8-foot ground rod. That ground rod should have a similarly heavy connection to the ground rod(s) used by the house electrical system. At the point the coax enters the house (but still outside), you put your coax static discharge device, which should have another ground wire taking the shortest path to the nearest ground rod. It would be entirely fine to have an additional ground rod dedicated for this; just remember that it needs to be tied to all the other ground rods, unless the coax enters the house right next to an existing ground rod for the house electrical or the mast/mount. Adding a ground rod isn't as helpful if it is right next to another rod.
KC4RAF
Member
ALL ground rods must be connected together! (NEC rules) And the wire running to the ground rods should be short as possible. I was in the process of doing a rough drawing of a house/shack with the meter, ground rod, tower/mast, etc. so it would help identify how to wire the ground system.
'Dsalomon' made a good point also about capping off the disconnected coax from the transceiver/radio. About 20 years ago we had an electrical storm come through our area. Lightning was flashing every 3 to 5 seconds. After the storm blew by, I went out to my shack/work shop, to check on my equipment. I had disconnected every thing including the antenna coax. But did not cap it off. I had a mirror lying under the coax connector with the medal side up. The bolt of lightning came down from the antennas, through the coax's connector and hit the mirror, snapping it in two and vaporizing the medal. All my speakers were blown, about 5 I think. Nothing else suffered.
The interesting thing tho, where the lightning hit the antenna, it blew off a short section of that antenna; and made the antenna better than before the strike. (some times lightning has it's beneficial times).
'jonwienke' got his post in while I was typing mine. He also makes a good point, "Adding a ground rod isn't as helpful if it is right next to another rod." I can not for the life of me remember the distance that is usually recommended for spacing the rods. I thing at least a six foot or greater distance would be ok.
'Dsalomon' made a good point also about capping off the disconnected coax from the transceiver/radio. About 20 years ago we had an electrical storm come through our area. Lightning was flashing every 3 to 5 seconds. After the storm blew by, I went out to my shack/work shop, to check on my equipment. I had disconnected every thing including the antenna coax. But did not cap it off. I had a mirror lying under the coax connector with the medal side up. The bolt of lightning came down from the antennas, through the coax's connector and hit the mirror, snapping it in two and vaporizing the medal. All my speakers were blown, about 5 I think. Nothing else suffered.
The interesting thing tho, where the lightning hit the antenna, it blew off a short section of that antenna; and made the antenna better than before the strike. (some times lightning has it's beneficial times).
'jonwienke' got his post in while I was typing mine. He also makes a good point, "Adding a ground rod isn't as helpful if it is right next to another rod." I can not for the life of me remember the distance that is usually recommended for spacing the rods. I thing at least a six foot or greater distance would be ok.
Last edited:
Did you go to the link in post #2 and read? It should answer all your questions and if you do a search on "NEC 810" it will come up with more articles with pictures to follow.
prcguy
prcguy
Problem is that it is not clear for my application, they say shortest route to the ground, but also say that it needs to go to the home ground, which as described is not the shortest route. I appreciate all of the positive comments made and have a game plan for this.
2 separate connections:
Shortest route from antenna to antenna ground rod.
Then shortest route from antenna ground rod to nearest utility power ground rod.
- Status
