Tower Grounding ?
- Thread starter KD8CPI
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Here's what i use for my antenna mast grounding...
http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...kw=Ground+Rod&kw=ground+rod&parentPage=search
http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...kw=Ground+Rod&kw=ground+rod&parentPage=search
8-10 Ft is the standard depth for an earth ground.
I think the electrical code standard is 8 ft minimum.
I usually pick up an 8 ft copper-bonded rod from the local home improvement store.
If you live in lightning country, you will want more than one ground rod in a mesh
or spider pattern bonded together.
Here is a good article with pictures:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r18491631-Bran-New-Tower-Grounding-advise
I think the electrical code standard is 8 ft minimum.
I usually pick up an 8 ft copper-bonded rod from the local home improvement store.
If you live in lightning country, you will want more than one ground rod in a mesh
or spider pattern bonded together.
Here is a good article with pictures:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r18491631-Bran-New-Tower-Grounding-advise
Thanks for that link...... We do see quite a bit of lightning..
jim202
Member
In trying to get grounding engineering information and feedback, you will be given
all sorts of feedback. Like if you ask 10 people, expect to get at least 12 answers.
Some of the best grounding systems all follow the same trend from all the cellular
carriers. There are some slight differences between them, but in general,
they all do the same thing. As the cell sites need to stay up and operating after
a lightning strike, I would say they have the design down fairly well. Having
worked for seberal cell carriers, I was on the design and building side of the
cell site construction.
Not to bore you with all the details, you need to follow the NEC (National
Electrical Code) on grounding. The Motorola R56 document has some very
good information contained within it. The main points are to make all under
ground connections with "exothermic" welded connections. These don't come
loose or deteriate over time and are as low a resistance as you can get.
The ground rod is important. However the local soil conditions will dictate just
what material is used. If you have an acid soil, you don't want to use bare
copper directly buried. In most cases, the copper will be plated with different
material. Most of the time a simple tinned covering will work to keep the wire
in good condition over a long time. Minimum of a number 2 wire is desired
so it will handle the high current of a strike. In most cases multiple ground rods
are installed at twice their length apart. This takes into account the cone of
influence around the rods. Any closer and you are not getting the full effect of
low reistance from each of the rods. Further apart and your resistance will
not be as low as it could be.
Major point to consider with tower galvanization is you don't want a bare copper
wire touching it. The copper will leach the zinc out of the plating and cause the
steel to rust over time. Down wires on towers have been proven to not add any
value to your protection. All it does is add cost. It also adds the chance of the
wire causing rusting of the tower steel if the copper touches any part of the steel.
You might want to check with your insurance company. Many times they do have
some minimum requirements that you need to follow. These are simple and
generally follow the NEC grounding.
Good luck trying to drive a copper pipe into the ground. I would expect it to just
flatten out where the hammer hist the copper. Nornal copper pipe is way too soft
to just try and drive it into the ground.
Jim
all sorts of feedback. Like if you ask 10 people, expect to get at least 12 answers.
Some of the best grounding systems all follow the same trend from all the cellular
carriers. There are some slight differences between them, but in general,
they all do the same thing. As the cell sites need to stay up and operating after
a lightning strike, I would say they have the design down fairly well. Having
worked for seberal cell carriers, I was on the design and building side of the
cell site construction.
Not to bore you with all the details, you need to follow the NEC (National
Electrical Code) on grounding. The Motorola R56 document has some very
good information contained within it. The main points are to make all under
ground connections with "exothermic" welded connections. These don't come
loose or deteriate over time and are as low a resistance as you can get.
The ground rod is important. However the local soil conditions will dictate just
what material is used. If you have an acid soil, you don't want to use bare
copper directly buried. In most cases, the copper will be plated with different
material. Most of the time a simple tinned covering will work to keep the wire
in good condition over a long time. Minimum of a number 2 wire is desired
so it will handle the high current of a strike. In most cases multiple ground rods
are installed at twice their length apart. This takes into account the cone of
influence around the rods. Any closer and you are not getting the full effect of
low reistance from each of the rods. Further apart and your resistance will
not be as low as it could be.
Major point to consider with tower galvanization is you don't want a bare copper
wire touching it. The copper will leach the zinc out of the plating and cause the
steel to rust over time. Down wires on towers have been proven to not add any
value to your protection. All it does is add cost. It also adds the chance of the
wire causing rusting of the tower steel if the copper touches any part of the steel.
You might want to check with your insurance company. Many times they do have
some minimum requirements that you need to follow. These are simple and
generally follow the NEC grounding.
Good luck trying to drive a copper pipe into the ground. I would expect it to just
flatten out where the hammer hist the copper. Nornal copper pipe is way too soft
to just try and drive it into the ground.
Jim
KD8CPI said:
k9rzz
Member
jim202 said:
That was my first thought. Too many &%$@ rocks !
jim202 said:
The Mast pipe I replaced with the tower I used just that. A 6' section of 1/2 copper water line. I do want to make sure I ground the tower properly and the Insurance statement is a good start. I don't want to lose my equipment or my house..
Thank you very much.
N
N_Jay
Guest
Why do people want to use water pipe and not ground rods.
I don't care how thick walled it is, I have trouble believing you can hammer a 8 foot piece of pipe into the ground without bending it into a ball.
I don't care how thick walled it is, I have trouble believing you can hammer a 8 foot piece of pipe into the ground without bending it into a ball.
rescuecomm
Member
So what do you do about your household service ground? Should it and the tower ground rod be bonded? If not, you will be "bonded" through the coax shield with possibly diastrous results.
Bob
Bob
N
N_Jay
Guest
You MUST bond all ground connections (NEC)
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