Freq range of radio greater than freq range of antenna - any possible problems ?

[GKLdiy88]

Been doing more reading on this, some things I read seem to indicate that having a really long ground wire run like I would need (as much as 60 feet) and having to bend 90 degrees around the corner of the house would not really be very effective against a lightning strike, so would having that long ground wire simply be to discharge any static electricity build up from the wind on the antenna ?

My antenna is a Comet GP-1 and is only about 4 feet tall, would such a small antenna really have much static build up from wind ?

I am retired and have a modest hobby budget and have already pushed my spending for this year more than I should have and I am trying to avoid any more than minor spending for now, but if I do need to get 60 feet of copper wire that wire alone might cost more than the antenna itself did

Also wondering if having a lightening arrestor and/or coax surge protector is merely optional or a real necessity.

I have read on the forum about simply disconnecting the coax from the back of the radio and putting the end in a glass jar when a lightning storm is expected (which has been fairly rare in our local area and not a regular occurrance)

.....not trying to be cheap, simply need to "try" to stay within a budget

 

[mmckenna]

Been doing more reading on this, some things I read seem to indicate that having a really long ground wire run like I would need (as much as 60 feet) and having to bend 90 degrees around the corner of the house would not really be very effective against a lightning strike, so would having that long ground wire simply be to discharge any static electricity build up from the wind on the antenna ?

It is needed for a few reasons:
Even a nearby lightning strike can induce a lot of energy onto the mast, antenna and coax. You want to give that energy an easy path to ground.
Static electricity is always possible with something metallic sticking up in the air. That can do a lot of damage.
Safety should be a concern. My comment above about different ground potentials should be carefully considered.

Ultimately it is up to you. Safety should be a concern. Safety shouldn't come last.

My antenna is a Comet GP-1 and is only about 4 feet tall, would such a small antenna really have much static build up from wind ?

It's possible, but remember there is also the 10 foot mast and coax.

I am retired and have a modest hobby budget and have already pushed my spending for this year more than I should have and I am trying to avoid any more than minor spending for now, but if I do need to get 60 feet of copper wire that wire alone might cost more than the antenna itself did

I understand. We all have limitations on budget.
Safety shouldn't be the last thing on the list.
The wire doesn't need to be copper. Copper would be ideal, but it is expensive.

Is there any way to run directly under the trailer rather than all the way around? 60 feet adds some complexity.

Or, is moving the antenna an option? Placing it closer to your ground rod would be beneficial.

Also wondering if having a lightening arrestor and/or coax surge protector is merely optional or a real necessity.

It is required by the NEC.
Some may see the code as optional. That's a decision you need to make. See my comments about safety above. Consider what your home owners insurance might think if there is an issue.

I have read on the forum about simply disconnecting the coax from the back of the radio and putting the end in a glass jar when a lightning storm is expected (which has been fairly rare in our local area and not a regular occurrance)

Be cautious about what you read, especially from hobbyists.
Sticking the antenna connector in a glass jar might be an option if static electricity is your only concern, but there is no guarantee that'll work. The thin insulation on the coax cable is only good up to a few hundred volts, so static jumping off the cable anywhere along its path is a possibility.
What happens if you are not home?
The glass jar thing won't protect against lightning. Remember that lightning transits thousands of feet through the air. Air is a pretty good insulator. Lightning is not going to be stopped by a jar.

.....not trying to be cheap, simply need to "try" to stay within a budget

I get it. We all have budgets and some of this stuff can get quite expensive. But it is worth doing it right. Safety should be a #1 concern at all times.

 

[GKLdiy88]

It is needed for a few reasons:
Even a nearby lightning strike can induce a lot of energy onto the mast, antenna and coax. You want to give that energy an easy path to ground.
Static electricity is always possible with something metallic sticking up in the air. That can do a lot of damage.
Safety should be a concern. My comment above about different ground potentials should be carefully considered.

Ultimately it is up to you. Safety should be a concern. Safety shouldn't come last.

I agree being safe is important, just trying to do it in the most economical way possible

It's possible, but remember there is also the 10 foot mast and coax.



I understand. We all have limitations on budget.
Safety shouldn't be the last thing on the list.
The wire doesn't need to be copper. Copper would be ideal, but it is expensive.

Okay, I had assumed copper was a must, so any solid metal wire would be okay ?

and what size wire is recommended ? (I have read people using different sizes)

Is there any way to run directly under the trailer rather than all the way around? 60 feet adds some complexity.

It might be possible though somewhat difficult but still might need as much as 40 feet even doing it that way.

Or, is moving the antenna an option? Placing it closer to your ground rod would be beneficial.

I already bought the coax, and at 25 feet long the antenna would need to stay at ground level to put it there.

It is required by the NEC.
Some may see the code as optional. That's a decision you need to make. See my comments about safety above. Consider what your home owners insurance might think if there is an issue.

Are both a lightning arrestor as well as a coax surge protector both viewed as necessary ?

Be cautious about what you read, especially from hobbyists.
Sticking the antenna connector in a glass jar might be an option if static electricity is your only concern, but there is no guarantee that'll work. The thin insulation on the coax cable is only good up to a few hundred volts, so static jumping off the cable anywhere along its path is a possibility.
What happens if you are not home?
The glass jar thing won't protect against lightning. Remember that lightning transits thousands of feet through the air. Air is a pretty good insulator. Lightning is not going to be stopped by a jar.



I get it. We all have budgets and some of this stuff can get quite expensive. But it is worth doing it right. Safety should be a #1 concern at all times.

Thanks, I do appreciate your help and I realize the importance of doing it right so it's safe.

I'm almost pondering the idea of just using the GP-1 antenna inside the house to avoid all the above (I have heard of people using the GP-1 antenna in their attic, but this manufactured home does not have an attic, so I would need to just have it in the same room as the radio, has anyone tried that ?)

 

[mmckenna]

I think you are quickly getting into an area where you should consider the following:

1. Consult with an electrician. Relying on a hobby website isn't a good idea. I do have a working knowledge of this, but even I consult with electrical engineers at work on this sort of stuff.

2. You may be quickly getting into an area where moving the antenna mast closer to the home ground rod makes much more sense, and then just spending the money on a longer piece of coaxial cable. That may be more cost effective and a hell of a lot easier.

3. On a website like this one, it's probably much more common to find hobbyists that totally ignore grounding and National Electric Code than to find those that follow it. Most of them have apparently survived. It is important not to confuse luck with skill, however. You may go a lifetime without ever having an issue with this. Or, lightning could find your antenna tomorrow.

4. I'm the type of guy that doesn't like to gamble. I don't like to cut corners when it comes to safety. My posts here are my own point of view. I'll recommend following NEC, but ultimately it is up to you.

 

[GKLdiy88]

I think you are quickly getting into an area where you should consider the following:

1. Consult with an electrician. Relying on a hobby website isn't a good idea. I do have a working knowledge of this, but even I consult with electrical engineers at work on this sort of stuff.

2. You may be quickly getting into an area where moving the antenna mast closer to the home ground rod makes much more sense, and then just spending the money on a longer piece of coaxial cable. That may be more cost effective and a hell of a lot easier.

3. On a website like this one, it's probably much more common to find hobbyists that totally ignore grounding and National Electric Code than to find those that follow it. Most of them have apparently survived. It is important not to confuse luck with skill, however. You may go a lifetime without ever having an issue with this. Or, lightning could find your antenna tomorrow.

4. I'm the type of guy that doesn't like to gamble. I don't like to cut corners when it comes to safety. My posts here are my own point of view. I'll recommend following NEC, but ultimately it is up to you.

Thanks, I really do want to be sure the installation is safe, and I realize it is ultimately my responsibility to make sure I am doing it right.

I am now pondering on the idea of having the antenna close to where the outdoor electric meter ground wire goes into the ground. On that side of the house the roof edge is a fair bit closer to the ground so I could have the 10 1/2 foot fence rail pole I would use as the mast sitting right on the ground itself, maybe about 4 feet away from the service ground wire. There are trees close on that side as well as a power wire going to the back yard light that might be within about 6 feet of the antenna so hopefully those things won't be an issue.

The service ground wire goes into the ground right next to the telephone pole that our electric power comes to the house on. (and the electric meter is attached to that pole also)

I figure the money I might otherwise need to pay for an extra long ground wire could go to having a longer overall coax.

Here is something I am wondering though, so the 25 foot coax I already have does not go to waste, could I simply get an additional length of coax to connect to it to make a longer coax and even use a lightning arrestor and/or coax surge protector as the connecting device to connect the 2 runs of coax together ?

 

[mmckenna]

Here is something I am wondering though, so the 25 foot coax I already have does not go to waste, could I simply get an additional length of coax to connect to it to make a longer coax and even use a lightning arrestor and/or coax surge protector as the connecting device to connect the 2 runs of coax together ?

Yes.

As for the ground rod, if it's at a pole, you'd need to carefully dig around a bit and see if you can find a rod. If you don't find a rod, it means that they may have put a copper plate at the base of the pole. That's a common practice (or at least it was) for doing grounds on utility poles. You may still need to get creative.

Also, pay attention to proper separation between any power wires and your antenna.

 

[GKLdiy88]

Yes.

As for the ground rod, if it's at a pole, you'd need to carefully dig around a bit and see if you can find a rod. If you don't find a rod, it means that they may have put a copper plate at the base of the pole. That's a common practice (or at least it was) for doing grounds on utility poles. You may still need to get creative.

Also, pay attention to proper separation between any power wires and your antenna.

Okay, thanks for that additional info !

It's good to know I can make use of the coax I already have.

Sorry for all the extra questions, but to connect the coax cables together would it be better to use a lightning arrestor or coax surge protector ?

If I use a lightning arrestor to connect the cables together, do I still need to use a coax surge protector and if so where do I connect that at ?

(and I'll be sure to check on the recommended separation distance between power wires and the antenna)

 

[GKLdiy88]

Bummer, I thought I might had had enough room to put the antenna near the front corner of the house on the side but when I went outside to check I realized the overhead wire is a lot too close, and I kinda think my wife would not want me to have an antenna mast in front of the house

So back to plan A, I guess I'll see what inexpensive solid wire (obviously not copper) I can get to run a ground wire under the house to the service ground where it goes into the ground next to the telephone pole.

I guess since the hardware included with the antenna to fasten the antenna to the mast is metal then when I put a ground wire near the bottom of the mast that both the antenna and mast will be grounded using that one wire.

I'll run one ground wire directly to the service ground so as I read it's not good to have more than one ground.

 

[AK9R]

Among other resources, here is a good book on the topic: Grounding and Bonding for the Radio Amateur 2nd Edition

 

[mmckenna]

Bummer, I thought I might had had enough room to put the antenna near the front corner of the house on the side but when I went outside to check I realized the overhead wire is a lot too close, and I kinda think my wife would not want me to have an antenna mast in front of the house

So back to plan A, I guess I'll see what inexpensive solid wire (obviously not copper) I can get to run a ground wire under the house to the service ground where it goes into the ground next to the telephone pole.

I guess since the hardware included with the antenna to fasten the antenna to the mast is metal then when I put a ground wire near the bottom of the mast that both the antenna and mast will be grounded using that one wire.

Yes. that would be fine.

Consider using one of the satellite antenna J mounts. That would let you mount it on the roof/eaves and route the cable down the wall. You could put that a couple of feet back from the front of the house, away from the service drop, but still close to the ground rod.

I'll run one ground wire directly to the service ground so as I read it's not good to have more than one ground.
View attachment 136672View attachment 136673View attachment 136674

I would look closely at your home, and especially underneath it. There may be a ground rod under the main inside breaker panel.
I'm trying to remember my NEC, but I think the frame of the trailer needs to be grounded, so there's a chance there's another rod somewhere.

 

[GKLdiy88]

Yes. that would be fine.

Consider using one of the satellite antenna J mounts. That would let you mount it on the roof/eaves and route the cable down the wall. You could put that a couple of feet back from the front of the house, away from the service drop, but still close to the ground rod.



I would look closely at your home, and especially underneath it. There may be a ground rod under the main inside breaker panel.
I'm trying to remember my NEC, but I think the frame of the trailer needs to be grounded, so there's a chance there's another rod somewhere.

I had a chance to check under the house, did not notice any ground rod, just a rod they use to tie down the metal frame under the house (see pic) can that be used as a ground rod for being fairly close to under where the antenna mast would go out back ?

The "tie down" rod is underneath about 2 feet from the edge of the house (maybe about 5 to 7 feet from the bottom of the antenna mast)


Searching the forum before someone had posted this link:

Antenna System Grounding Requirements

and on that link it had a graphic that said "Antenna discharge unit OR cable shield grounding block" (see pic below)

so does that mean IF I use a cable shield grounding unit" that I do not need to also have a lightning arrestor or discharge unit ?


also can I use a grounding block (see pic) instead of trying to dig up the grounding rod ?

also there is a ground wire coming up near the edge of the house, could I use the grounding block on that so as to avoid having the ground wire go away from the house to the telephone pole ?




also I can have the ground wire run from the antenna mast under the house to that far right corner, either directly from the antenna mast or from that "tie down" rod mentioned earlier, or should I get an antenna ground rod or does it matter ?

 

[mmckenna]

I had a chance to check under the house, did not notice any ground rod, just a rod they use to tie down the metal frame under the house (see pic) can that be used as a ground rod for being fairly close to under where the antenna mast would go out back ?

The "tie down" rod is underneath about 2 feet from the edge of the house (maybe about 5 to 7 feet from the bottom of the antenna mast)

No, that would be rusty and not make for a good ground connection.

so does that mean IF I use a cable shield grounding unit" that I do not need to also have a lightning arrestor or discharge unit ?

The grounding block is something often used for TV antennas or Cable TV connections, they only connect the outer shield to ground. What you want is the "Antenna Discharge Unit". It not only grounds the shield, but also has a gas tube device that will shut some of the energy off the center conductor to ground.

also can I use a grounding block (see pic) instead of trying to dig up the grounding rod ?

Yes, that would be OK in the eyes of the NEC.

also there is a ground wire coming up near the edge of the house, could I use the grounding block on that so as to avoid having the ground wire go away from the house to the telephone pole ?

You'd want to know what that was connected to. A wire disappearing in to the ground should be treated as a random wire that goes into the ground with nothing connected, unless you know otherwise. That looks like your telephone Network Interface Device, and that will have a suppressor in their for the phone lines. It ~should~ be connected to a ground rod to protect the phone lines.

View attachment 136886

That wire should go to a ground rod, or at least a copper plate on the butt of the pole. But unless you installed it, or watched it being installed, don't assume it is there. Even an installed ground rod can deteriorate over time. In addition, if there is a ground rod, make sure the connection is still good. But don't disconnect the ground wire from the rod if that is connected to the breaker panel. If there are any wiring faults, there could be a significant voltage on that wire and you don't want to "become one with the circuit". Your wife would be horribly upset if that happened. Again, a good place for a professional electrician to make their appearance.

also I can have the ground wire run from the antenna mast under the house to that far right corner, either directly from the antenna mast or from that "tie down" rod mentioned earlier, or should I get an antenna ground rod or does it matter ?

If it was me….

I would put a ground rod directly under your mast/antenna. The mast should be grounded to that directly. If that is where your coax enters the home, your antenna discharge unit should be grounded there also.

I'd then run a #6 copper wire straight across to the homes ground rod. Don't connect to that anchor. Just run ground rod to ground rod.

 

[GKLdiy88]

No, that would be rusty and not make for a good ground connection.



The grounding block is something often used for TV antennas or Cable TV connections, they only connect the outer shield to ground. What you want is the "Antenna Discharge Unit". It not only grounds the shield, but also has a gas tube device that will shut some of the energy off the center conductor to ground.



Yes, that would be OK in the eyes of the NEC.



You'd want to know what that was connected to. A wire disappearing in to the ground should be treated as a random wire that goes into the ground with nothing connected, unless you know otherwise. That looks like your telephone Network Interface Device, and that will have a suppressor in their for the phone lines. It ~should~ be connected to a ground rod to protect the phone lines.




That wire should go to a ground rod, or at least a copper plate on the butt of the pole. But unless you installed it, or watched it being installed, don't assume it is there. Even an installed ground rod can deteriorate over time. In addition, if there is a ground rod, make sure the connection is still good. But don't disconnect the ground wire from the rod if that is connected to the breaker panel. If there are any wiring faults, there could be a significant voltage on that wire and you don't want to "become one with the circuit". Your wife would be horribly upset if that happened. Again, a good place for a professional electrician to make their appearance.




If it was me….

I would put a ground rod directly under your mast/antenna. The mast should be grounded to that directly. If that is where your coax enters the home, your antenna discharge unit should be grounded there also.

I'd then run a #6 copper wire straight across to the homes ground rod. Don't connect to that anchor. Just run ground rod to ground rod.

Okay, thanks, the additional help is appreciated, so I could have the lightning arrestor (antenna discharge unit) grounded to the same ground rod the antenna mast uses ?

Would something like this be okay to use ?

Lightning ARRESTOR for CB or Ham Base Antennas - Workman A28

Also, would this be okay to use as the ground rod ?

 

[mmckenna]

Personally I would not use a Workman product. They are low tier, and for $8 you are probably just getting a glorified grounding block.
At work, I use Polyphaser, but they are expensive. Worth the money in a commercial application, but may be outside your budget.
You want one that specifically has a gas tube design, so it provides some protection to the center conductor:

https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-SP1000-DC-1000MHz-Protector-Lightning/dp/B00OAGLIIS/ref=sr_1_27_mod_primary_new?crid=2NI590Z5VAETY&keywords=UHF+lightning+gas+tube+arrestor&qid=1677023807&s=electronics&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=uhf+lightning+gas+tube+arrestor%2Celectronics%2C115&sr=1-27

As for the rod, I'd recommend using one 8 feet long. It'll cost a bit more, and be more work to install, but it puts more contact area in touch with the dirt. That will lower the ground resistance and help get more energy where it wants to go, and not through your radio.

 

[GKLdiy88]

Personally I would not use a Workman product. They are low tier, and for $8 you are probably just getting a glorified grounding block.
At work, I use Polyphaser, but they are expensive. Worth the money in a commercial application, but may be outside your budget.
You want one that specifically has a gas tube design, so it provides some protection to the center conductor:

https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-SP1000-DC-1000MHz-Protector-Lightning/dp/B00OAGLIIS/ref=sr_1_27_mod_primary_new?crid=2NI590Z5VAETY&keywords=UHF+lightning+gas+tube+arrestor&qid=1677023807&s=electronics&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=uhf+lightning+gas+tube+arrestor%2Celectronics%2C115&sr=1-27

As for the rod, I'd recommend using one 8 feet long. It'll cost a bit more, and be more work to install, but it puts more contact area in touch with the dirt. That will lower the ground resistance and help get more energy where it wants to go, and not through your radio.

Thanks again, I might have to research more later to try to find the most economical of the above that is still worth getting, I am definitely getting an education - and - finding out that everything else I needed to get to finally put the radio in full use will cost more than the radio itself by far

 

[Token]

I took and passed both the Technical and General tests at the same time last year, I'd have to check a chart and refresh my memory on what frequencies a General license allows.

So they would make ham radios with frequencies outside of the range that a ham license would allow ? If so, that would seem strange.

Not chiding or being a soup Nazi below, just filling in some history.

You, not the radio, are responsible for your operations.

That is why ham radio requires testing, unlike most other services. Ham radio operators are not required to use "type certified" radios, as most other services are. You, as the licensed ham radio operator, are responsible for knowing what frequencies you are authorized to use, and to also know if your radio meets the technical specifications required. You may not remember the exact limitations of your license (you will get there in time), but in studying for the license you received at least the basic data on how to confirm your authorized modes and frequencies (Part 97).

In other services the radio hardware limits (in theory) the operator from doing anything they are not supposed to do. Part 95 (CB, FRS, etc) radios only transmit on Part 95 frequencies and at the appropriate power levels. Part 90 (public services, etc) radios are not front panel programmable, so the tech who programs the radio is supposed to know the authorized modes and frequencies and the end user can't mess up. Things like that.

For some reason people think that the CCRs (Cheap Chinese Radios) introduced the concept of ham radios that work outside ham bands, and that simply is not the case. Long before the first Baofeng (or any other CCR) most ham radios could transmit outside ham bands, quite often with no modification required. In the tube days radios with no hard, defined, band edges were the norm. Some radios only went a little bit out of band, other radios had the entire HF (or VHF-Lo, or VHF-Hi, etc) spectrum. For example a Collins KWM-2 could do any frequency from 3.4 - 30 MHz, given the right crystal, and many hams had the entire factory available crystal pack that gave that coverage. The Yaesu FT-101 worked outside the edges of every ham band it had and a simple crystal change (directions in the manual) gave it any freq from 1.8 to 30 MHz. This kind of flexibility was the norm.

It was not until PLL and microprocessor controlled radios that frequency limitations started to be a thing beyond the basic hardware bandwidth of the radio.

T!

 

[GKLdiy88]

Not chiding or being a soup Nazi below, just filling in some history.

You, not the radio, are responsible for your operations.

That is why ham radio requires testing, unlike most other services. Ham radio operators are not required to use "type certified" radios, as most other services are. You, as the licensed ham radio operator, are responsible for knowing what frequencies you are authorized to use, and to also know if your radio meets the technical specifications required. You may not remember the exact limitations of your license (you will get there in time), but in studying for the license you received at least the basic data on how to confirm your authorized modes and frequencies (Part 97).

In other services the radio hardware limits (in theory) the operator from doing anything they are not supposed to do. Part 95 (CB, FRS, etc) radios only transmit on Part 95 frequencies and at the appropriate power levels. Part 90 (public services, etc) radios are not front panel programmable, so the tech who programs the radio is supposed to know the authorized modes and frequencies and the end user can't mess up. Things like that.

For some reason people think that the CCRs (Cheap Chinese Radios) introduced the concept of ham radios that work outside ham bands, and that simply is not the case. Long before the first Baofeng (or any other CCR) most ham radios could transmit outside ham bands, quite often with no modification required. In the tube days radios with no hard, defined, band edges were the norm. Some radios only went a little bit out of band, other radios had the entire HF (or VHF-Lo, or VHF-Hi, etc) spectrum. For example a Collins KWM-2 could do any frequency from 3.4 - 30 MHz, given the right crystal, and many hams had the entire factory available crystal pack that gave that coverage. The Yaesu FT-101 worked outside the edges of every ham band it had and a simple crystal change (directions in the manual) gave it any freq from 1.8 to 30 MHz. This kind of flexibility was the norm.

It was not until PLL and microprocessor controlled radios that frequency limitations started to be a thing beyond the basic hardware bandwidth of the radio.

T!

Thanks, I do have to refresh my memory of what I learned about a year ago when studying to takes those tests.

What happened is after getting my license and being able to transmit I only had a Yaesu FT-60R 5 watt HT with which I was not able to make contact with anyone (live in a semi-rural area) and only rarely could receive people talking other than the NOAA weather freq, but I knew eventually I'd be able to see about getting a mobile to use as a base station. So ham radio kinda took a back seat in the meantime and I had various household projects that needed done. It's not as easy to remember all that ham info when you're not really able to use it for a while

 

[AK9R]

As for the rod, I'd recommend using one 8 feet long.

I agree.

For @GKLdiy88, Lowes or Home Depot or a local electrical supply house are a source for ground rods. I would not buy one from Amazon. Not only do you not know for sure what you are getting, but I wouldn't have any faith that it would arrive in a non-bent condition. Ground rods are generally copper-clad steel, 8 feet long and either 1/2" or 5/8" diameter. A 1/2" ground rod would be less expensive, but you may have trouble driving it into rocky soil.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Galvan-0-625-in-x-8-ft-Copper-Grounding-Rods/3446270

ERICO 5/8 in. x 8 ft. Copper Grounding Bar Rod 615880UPC - The Home Depot

ERICO copper-bonded ground rods are the highest quality ground rods available today. We use a unique manufacturing process, which includes drawing the steel rod to size before the copper bonding process

www.homedepot.com

 

[GKLdiy88]

I agree.

For @GKLdiy88, Lowes or Home Depot or a local electrical supply house are a source for ground rods. I would not buy one from Amazon. Not only do you not know for sure what you are getting, but I wouldn't have any faith that it would arrive in a non-bent condition. Ground rods are generally copper-clad steel, 8 feet long and either 1/2" or 5/8" diameter. A 1/2" ground rod would be less expensive, but you may have trouble driving it into rocky soil.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Galvan-0-625-in-x-8-ft-Copper-Grounding-Rods/3446270

ERICO 5/8 in. x 8 ft. Copper Grounding Bar Rod 615880UPC - The Home Depot

ERICO copper-bonded ground rods are the highest quality ground rods available today. We use a unique manufacturing process, which includes drawing the steel rod to size before the copper bonding process

www.homedepot.com

Thanks, I have seen an 8 foot ground rod advertised for around $80 so that price is a lot better !

I still have several various things to get other than the ground rod, including perhaps as much as 50 feet of #4 copper wire, a surge protector, clamps, ect.

Anyhow, with all I already spent from January till now (already way more than I planned) I might need to spread out all the remaining stuff I need to get (when you figure all the extra stuff together it sure adds up fast ) but hey, I'm not complaining, I have learned to be patient when working with a modest budget for hobby stuff, I just wish I knew in advance all the various extra stuff I would need to get so it would not have been as much of a surprise, but that is my fault for not researching it more completely ahead of time

 

[prcguy]

Okay, thanks, the additional help is appreciated, so I could have the lightning arrestor (antenna discharge unit) grounded to the same ground rod the antenna mast uses ?

Would something like this be okay to use ?

Lightning ARRESTOR for CB or Ham Base Antennas - Workman A28

Also, would this be okay to use as the ground rod ?
View attachment 136900

Don't bother with a 4ft ground rod, 8ft minimum as mentioned. Here is something to think about, grounding per NEC is for human safety and not necessarily for lightning protection. It would be very difficult and expensive to build a grounding system that might survive a direct lightning hit so maybe its best to accept that fact and just ground for human safety.

That should be satisfied with a ground block or lightning arrestor in the feedline which is grounded to the house AC panel ground with 10ga or larger copper wire per NEC. The mast will then be grounded via the feedline and that should satisfy NEC. Anything beyond this is $$ that will not do anything to protect against a direct lightning hit, unless you take the big step and hire an outside professional firm and spend a lot of $$.