Help with new antenna suggestions

[ab3a]

Ok, once you get your grounding set up, here are some suggestions:

Without having lots of trees around, I would suggest erecting a vertical antenna system. Put one up for one band (try 40 Meters). Make it a unipole and use an extensive radial system. How extensive? Well, broadcast stations routinely use over 100 radials. Ideally, these radials will be 1/4 wave each, but that's not etched in stone. If you lay them flat and secure them at the ends, you may get grass to grow around them so that they don't show.

Now, about that unipole, I suggested it because you are concerned about lightning. A bonus is that this antenna is DC grounded, so if it is struck by lightning, it will dissipate a significant portion of the charge before it ever gets to your radio. The Balun will help to isolate it from your shack further.

This sort of antenna system is also decoupled from your house with all of its RF noise. You can mount it well away from your home, and perhaps even disguise it as a flag pole. If you build it for 40 meters and play it carefully, you may be able to get it to load on 15 meters as well. Another point: most antenna tuners are more efficient when matching higher impedance to 50 0hm coax than lower impedance.

Good Luck!

 

[SCPD]

If a continuous solid steel beam is connected directly via a suitable ground strap connection to the same earth ground rod as the electrical ground, wouldn't that beam also be a ground bus connection and not "floating ground", regardless whether the beam was part of the structural bonding?

It depends on too many factors to know for certain -- type of steel, quality, condition, what else is connected to it, etc.

My guess though is that while at the factory, the manufacturer probably already bonded it together with the beam and the frame. His ground lead may already be connected to that system.

 

[SCPD]

Thanks for the replies. I am gonna buy that box.

Here is my plan (disclaimer: I am no artist )

Sounds like a plan.

What's the distance from rod to rod?

 

[corbintechboy]

Sounds like a plan.

What's the distance from rod to rod?

It's about 24 foot. I thought about going around the side of the home but my septic is around there. I have no idea where the pipes or whatnot run. It could end up being an expensive mistake trying to run a middle rod in the back. I'm hoping and thinking that the setup I came up with should provide me the safety and the RF improvements I need.

Thank you all for the replies.

Unipole is something I have never heard about. I will look into it.

 

[SCPD]

It's about 24 foot. I thought about going around the side of the home but my septic is around there. I have no idea where the pipes or whatnot run. It could end up being an expensive mistake trying to run a middle rod in the back. I'm hoping and thinking that the setup I came up with should provide me the safety and the RF improvements I need.

Yeah that sounds fine. Ideally, I'd recommend bare copper wire between the ground rods. The downside is that you should bury this 6" or so into the ground. Do the best you can.

This is a good price.

Shop 25-ft 4-Gauge Solid Soft Drawn Copper Bare Wire at Lowes.com

 

[ridgescan]

Cannot wait to see what you wind up with there CTB you lucky so&so man if I had all that room...

 

[ab3a]

Unipole is something I have never heard about. I will look into it.

My purpose for mentioning the unipole is because it is like half of a folded dipole, with the mirror being the radial system.

The reason I suggested it is because it has a direct DC ground and because you were concerned about lightning strikes.

 

[KC5AKB]

Way to go Take your time and think about it.
I might even be time to get a ham lic W5YI : Resources for Amateur & Commercial Radio
if you enjoy SWL
I is nice to have some room .