Tower for CB Antenna?

[UnidenBC92XLT]

I have my antenna now on a antenna push up pole. Its 26' in the air. Its been there over 2yrs with no ground at all. Its an aluminum ground plain the tip is about 48' in the air. No noise problems or anything. Lightning like crazy around here when it storms. Never had one thing hit since we moved in back in 2002.

 

[TheSpaceMann]

I have my antenna now on a antenna push up pole. Its 26' in the air. Its been there over 2yrs with no ground at all. Its an aluminum ground plain the tip is about 48' in the air. No noise problems or anything. Lightning like crazy around here when it storms. Never had one thing hit since we moved in back in 2002.

Just be patient! Sometimes it takes a while for lightning rods to work!!

 

[NDRADIONUT]

Beside your house is fine... It looked like there was a ground wire going out the back of your breaker box....

 

[jim202]

Guys, the national Electrical Code (NEC) is very specific in stating that there will be a ground rod located under the electrical meter feeding the structure. That ground rod becomes the ground reference for the electrical system. This is normally the first thing the electrical inspector checks when they come out for an inspection.

The only issues that show up is some of the inspectors don't allow for the connection of telecommunication grounding systems to be connected to the same electric meter ground rod. The NEC does have a specific section for telecommunications connections. But you may get some push back from your local wiring inspector.

One way around the issue is to dig down about 3 feet and make the connection to the ground rod at that point. The inspector is normally lazy and won't be bothered to dig and see if any other ground is tied to the ground rod below the surface.

This connection should be made with an exothermic weld and not one of those cheap grounding connectors that you can but at Home Depot that slides over the ground rod and has a bolt to bind onto the ground rod. There is then a screw to tighten down on the ground wire. These make a poor connection after a while. After a year or so underground, they generally no longer even make a connection. The corrosion on the connection has normally eaten away at the connection and it falls off.

Go read the NEC about grounding if you have any questions. Don't listen to the suggestions from those that are not licensed electrician.

 

[JayMojave]

Hello All: Allow me to disagree with some of the things said here while not being disagreeable.

I don't care what the NEC Code is, what the ARRL says how to ground, or Motorola R56 at http://www.ronet.co.za/downloads/R56 Guidelines.pdf

I do NOT want my tower and three antennas ground tied into my house ground system, as the tower is at 55 feet high, and will the first thing hit by lightening, not my house in my view. During rare lightening storms in my area ( Mojave Desert ) I simple disconnect the coaxes and roll them back several feet. This isolates any Lightening energy from getting into the house's wiring system. And blowing up expensive radio equipment. And has worked for many years. Had a close by lightening strike several years ago, about 400 feet away, I saw the disconnected PL-259 connector arc over during the lightening strike. This is why lightening suppressors are used.

I have seen many tower installations but never seen the tower ground connected to the house ground.

Comments?

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

 

[UnidenBC92XLT]

Well its been a while. I finally got up my tower up. Still undecided on how I'm going to ground it.

 

[prcguy]

This is my opinion, if your tower and antenna is far from your house and you can disconnect the coax and toss it out the window, making the antenna system its own island, then you might avoid damage in the house if the antenna gets hit. Otherwise the NEC and most publications state the antenna system and any additional ground rods must be tied to your house electrical ground and there is very specific rules on wire size and how to do it and this is not my opinion, its part of the code.

One thing that will happen if your tower/antenna gets hit and there are coax, rotor, etc connections to something in the house, the ground potential between the house ground and items in your house can be thousands of volts for a brief time causing lots of damage. When the antenna system is properly tied to the house ground then the difference in ground potential among devices in your house can be reduced to a survivable level.

I've had repeater sites that sustained direct hits blowing holes in the antenna and nothing happened to anything else in the system. You can bet the building electrical system is heavily bonded to the tower and antenna system at mountain top repeater sites, cell phone sites, satellite broadcast centers, you name it.

That's not to say whatever is connected to your antenna or rotor cable wont be destroyed by a direct hit, but at least there is less chance you have to replace every electrical device you own.
prcguy

Hello All: Allow me to disagree with some of the things said here while not being disagreeable.

I don't care what the NEC Code is, what the ARRL says how to ground, or Motorola R56 at http://www.ronet.co.za/downloads/R56 Guidelines.pdf

I do NOT want my tower and three antennas ground tied into my house ground system, as the tower is at 55 feet high, and will the first thing hit by lightening, not my house in my view. During rare lightening storms in my area ( Mojave Desert ) I simple disconnect the coaxes and roll them back several feet. This isolates any Lightening energy from getting into the house's wiring system. And blowing up expensive radio equipment. And has worked for many years. Had a close by lightening strike several years ago, about 400 feet away, I saw the disconnected PL-259 connector arc over during the lightening strike. This is why lightening suppressors are used.

I have seen many tower installations but never seen the tower ground connected to the house ground.

Comments?

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

 

[UnidenBC92XLT]

Thanks prcguy for your reply. This is what I plan on doing. I'm going to put a 8' ground rod at the tower. Going to run #6 solid copper from the tower to the rod. Then I'm going to run #6 from that rod to the main ground rod at the meter pole. I always unhook my coax if I'm not on my base. It will be between 40' to 50' between the 2 rods.

 

[byndhlptom]

Grounding

fyi, in a lot of older homes, the breaker box is tied to the water line feeding the house (of course it's copper), thus it is grounded.

Running a 40+ ft copper wire to the pole doesn't neccessarily provide a ground (it does provide a power return tho....).

$.02

 

[UnidenBC92XLT]

fyi, in a lot of older homes, the breaker box is tied to the water line feeding the house (of course it's copper), thus it is grounded.

Running a 40+ ft copper wire to the pole doesn't neccessarily provide a ground (it does provide a power return tho....).

$.02

I don't have copper plumbing in my home. Its all pvc. The 40' copper wire is bonding the grounds together at the tower and the main ground of the home. The ground for the tower itself will be a 8' copper rod at the base of the tower itself.

 

[prcguy]

Please look up the specific NEC article 810 dealing with antenna grounding and do what it says at the very least. Then you can upsize conductors, the number of ground rods and implement other methods used by various commercial users if you wish. There are lots of rules dealing with grounding like a certain spacing between ground rods, maximum bends in the downleads, etc that you should research before starting your project.

I would also recommend going to the Polyphaser site and look over some of their white papers on various lightning and grounding facts.
prcguy

Thanks prcguy for your reply. This is what I plan on doing. I'm going to put a 8' ground rod at the tower. Going to run #6 solid copper from the tower to the rod. Then I'm going to run #6 from that rod to the main ground rod at the meter pole. I always unhook my coax if I'm not on my base. It will be between 40' to 50' between the 2 rods.

 

[UnidenBC92XLT]

I just read the NEC 810. I also just talked to a local electrician and he said use a 4' or 8' copper rod. Tie the tower rod with the main house rod together with #6 solid copper. Run #6 also from the tower to the ground rod that I install. So I guess thats what I will do.

 

[kevin2525]

Off Topic

I know this is off the topic, But may I
ask how you cleaned up the tower?
Looks great!

73's:Kevin.

 

[UnidenBC92XLT]

I know this is off the topic, But may I
ask how you cleaned up the tower?
Looks great!

73's:Kevin.

Here are a couple more pics before and after. I used just sandpaper and I bought Rust-Oleum Grey Premium Primer from Walmart. Spent a lot of time in it.

 

[prcguy]

Just a suggestion, if the pipe straps shown in the picture are the only thing holding up the tower, don't climb it.
prcguy

Here are a couple more pics before and after. I used just sandpaper and I bought Rust-Oleum Grey Premium Primer from Walmart. Spent a lot of time in it.

 

[KC4RAF]

+1 what prcguy posted!

Those pipe straps just ain't gonna hold that tower if you get a high wind, 50+ or more. How do you have it anchored in the ground?

 

[UnidenBC92XLT]

Those pipe straps just ain't gonna hold that tower if you get a high wind, 50+ or more. How do you have it anchored in the ground?

It is concreted in the ground. The 2 legs up against the house which is the ones strapped to the house are up against my footing. Footing is 3' deep. Dug a hole against the footing and set the tower in it then poured the concrete. Tower legs are 2 1/2' deep in concrete.

 

[JayMojave]

Hello U+12: Yeah that looks like a good antenna install, as the antenna is up there pretty high, I am sure it works quit well at that height.

+2 what PRC Guy said: Suggest the Pipe Clamps be replaced with U-Bolts and possibility reinforce the wood on the edge of the house that supports the tower.

Guy wires of Nylon Rope are all over the net see the wire man, he has that stuff. Guy wires attached at the top of the tower or at the base of the antenna is real big help, as experience has shown us. And will help relive some stress on the tower mounting to the building.

See: https://thewireman.com/products.html

Again how did you clean up the tower it looks great. Good going.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

 

[UnidenBC92XLT]

Hello U+12: Yeah that looks like a good antenna install, as the antenna is up there pretty high, I am sure it works quit well at that height.

+2 what PRC Guy said: Suggest the Pipe Clamps be replaced with U-Bolts and possibility reinforce the wood on the edge of the house that supports the tower.

Guy wires of Nylon Rope are all over the net see the wire man, he has that stuff. Guy wires attached at the top of the tower or at the base of the antenna is real big help, as experience has shown us. And will help relive some stress on the tower mounting to the building.

See: https://thewireman.com/products.html

Again how did you clean up the tower it looks great. Good going.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

How would a guy go about using ubolts to secure it to the house? I looked at everything under the sun at Lowes and local hardware stores. This is the best and most sturdy thing I could find. The guy that installed the tower for me said it was probably the best way to do it. These straps have 8 quarter inch lag bolts that are 3 inches long in them. I was going to have him put guy wires on it and he told me it didn't need it. But I guess I could add them just for more security. On the tower cleaning I just used sandpaper and the Premium Grey Primer RustOleum brand from walmart. It was almost $4 a can. The guy that installed it has put up several towers even a few 80' towers. But I'm open to opinions and suggestions. This is first tower I have ever had. I've only had push up poles in the past for any kind of antenna. Thanks for all you guys input.

 

[prcguy]

If the tower is rated as free standing and its in the factory recommended or engineered amount of concrete, then the pipe straps would not matter. It doesn't look like a free standing type tower to me however.

Every install is different and I would see what house brackets were offered from the mfr if possible. My home tower is only 35ft tall but its holding up 20ft of tower horizontal about half way up. For the house bracket I got a 1/4" thick steel plate about 3ft X 4ft and welded two lengths of 6" wide U channel spaced vertically above each other to act as standoffs so the tower clears the roof overhang. There are 4 thick U bolts that go around the tower legs and through the large U channel stand offs on the steel plate. The steel plate has around eight 1/2" bolts that penetrate the walls and a few 2X8 wood planks about 6ft long in the attic to sandwich the walls.

Its not engineered to any specifications, but in my experience it will never come down. I also have 2 Phyllystran guy cables going from the top of the tower to rafters in the roof so when the wind blows the tower away from the house its guyed and when the wind blows the tower toward the house, the house holds things up.

There are pics of this thing floating around RR somewhere.
prcguy

How would a guy go about using ubolts to secure it to the house? I looked at everything under the sun at Lowes and local hardware stores. This is the best and most sturdy thing I could find. The guy that installed the tower for me said it was probably the best way to do it. These straps have 8 quarter inch lag bolts that are 3 inches long in them. I was going to have him put guy wires on it and he told me it didn't need it. But I guess I could add them just for more security. On the tower cleaning I just used sandpaper and the Premium Grey Primer RustOleum brand from walmart. It was almost $4 a can. The guy that installed it has put up several towers even a few 80' towers. But I'm open to opinions and suggestions. This is first tower I have ever had. I've only had push up poles in the past for any kind of antenna. Thanks for all you guys input.