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Buck
| | Posted on Monday, December 22, 2003 - 10:21 pm: | 
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How should I ground my Base setup??? I was thinking about mounting a piece of copper pipe to a board(somehow) and using it as a grounding bar. I would hook all of my equiptment to it and then hook it to an 8' grounding rod right outside the radio room. What size of wire should I use from the equiptment to the grounding bar and what size from the bar to the ground rod outside?? I currently dont have anything grounded which I know is a no no....As soon as the ground thaws I will get a ground rod put in.
Buck |
Ca346
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 23, 2003 - 12:49 am: |
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Lon sounds like he has the premier set-up. So I'm waiting for his picture.
I have a 1/2" copper pipe drilled through perpendicular near both ends and screwed to the back of the wood shelfing I use to support the "stuff". A short spacer keeps it away from the back of the shelf. I use several round metal straps that tighten by a screw (name of them ...hose clamps?) to run VERY SHORT #8 ground wires to everything (equipment) and then a #8 wire to an outside grounding bar lag bolted to the outside of the house. From there I use a 10ft long flat 1" ground strap to a 8ft ground rod which has 3 seperate 25ft long radials tied to it underground. Works great. |
Tech808
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 23, 2003 - 12:59 am: |
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Buck,
On my Equipment I have a 10' 3/4' Copper Rod right outside of window (Less than 4 feet maybe from equipmernt).
I run a 3 1/2 - 4' #2 Solid Copper wire through wall and added a 8 lug connector (like for a fuse box) to it and have all AMPs, Lighting Arrestor's, TVI Filter's, Radio's, Tuner, Antenna Switch and all Meter's Grounded ot it with #12 & #10 Stranded Copper wire.
Even when I hook a mobile up on the Bench for testing or work it is grounded.
I also use Anti Static Wrist strap and Anti Static Mat on Bench.
I also use the PolyPhaser's on all Coax coming into House.
Hope this help's
Might be Overkill but I don't like taking chances.
Picture's will be forth coming as soon as we get things arranged.
Lon
Tech808
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Buck
| | Posted on Thursday, December 25, 2003 - 2:21 pm: |
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I am still working on this thing....Adding new 213 coax to everything....How long should I make my jumpers??? I need two of them......... Radio-amp-meter-antenna. I really dont need but about 2' per jumper. Will 3' work fine for me??
Thanks
Buck |
Dx431
| | Posted on Thursday, December 25, 2003 - 7:12 pm: |
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Three foot jumpers should work fine. |
Lowpowerhal
| | Posted on Thursday, December 25, 2003 - 8:33 pm: |
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Hi Buck Did you have nice Christmas? I had to play with differnt lenghts on jumpers (radio-amp-tuner-meter) to get swr low. I have Every thing grounded like CA346 and Tech 808 I dont have the poly phasers's on my coax lines like Tech 808 but that not a bad ideal. And i will say this grounding keeps a lot of noise level down plus it helps on transmit to. 3 years ago my antron 99 was hit by lightining ( there must have been a 1000 strips of fiberglass in a 50' dia circle)all my coax runs to a 5 pole switch box. The common is allways unpluged when we are not home. And the center of my coax fried all the way to the switch box which was grounded to, It took out the cordless phone, Tv, Vcr, and satellite dish and reciver.But not one radio or the pc which is in my radio room got hit.Thats my testimonial for what grounding dose. I did replace the coax switch box and coax going out to the other anntennas just in case. Maybe catch you on the Iowa net tonight Buck |
Buck
| | Posted on Thursday, December 25, 2003 - 9:43 pm: |
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Thanks Jason.....I put new coax(rg-213) up today after the X-mas thing. I am going to make some jumpers either tonight or tommorrow. As soon as I get that done and get a ground rod in the ground I will be all done with this setup....Well for now anyway. It was nice here today. I was on the roof with a sweatshirt and I was comfortable. Does the Imax need grounded??? I have a piece of #12 copper wire running from the base of the Imax to an 1/2"-8' ground in the ground...I was told it isnt needed with the I2K??? If its not I will pull it tommorrow and move it for my station ground.
Thanks
Buck |
Ca346
| | Posted on Friday, December 26, 2003 - 12:43 pm: |
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BUCK:
On my other antenna (IMAX2000), I have it at the top of a metal extended 36ft mast (Radio Shack). So I grounded the BOTTOM of the mast to a 8ft ground rod. Time will tell whether it's enough or not... |
Diggerodell
| | Posted on Friday, December 26, 2003 - 1:29 pm: |
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ca346 i have mine the very same way and it works just fine!!!!
cheers my friend.........
BOBBY |
Damyankee
| | Posted on Friday, December 26, 2003 - 2:14 pm: |
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Buck,
It may not be necessary but I have #10 UV Romex running from the mount on my 2000 to a ground rod at the base. I used the ground (bare) to the lightning arrestor and have the 2 insulated wires
on the mast clamps - one on each. I also have a short piece of welding lead from the mast to the ground rod, just in case...Ron |
Buck
| | Posted on Friday, December 26, 2003 - 5:48 pm: |
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Well I think I will leave it grounded...It sure cant hurt it...I will buy a new ground rod tommorrow. Y'all best watch out on Sunday
Buck |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Friday, December 26, 2003 - 11:00 pm: |
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Lon,Tech808,you may be able to answer this,I know about stray RF but why do you have to ground every chassis of every gadget in the line when all the chassis are tied together with the coax shield which is at ground potential.My station is like this;radio,amp,swr meter,low pass filter,lightning arrestor;8 gauge cable 6 feet long(attached to arrestor) to a 8 foot copper ground rod right outside the window,75 feet of coax to pdl-2,another 8 foot ground rod at base of mast attached with 2 feet of 2 gauge cable.Haven't had any feed back problems in radio room or hot spots,solved problems with rf pickup in sound system and telephone with ferrite beads,ya know untill I beaded the phone line I was getting in everyones phones and tvs on the block I think rf was feeding back into the over head lines and getting in that way,but since I beaded the phones line no more complaints.Bigbob |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Saturday, December 27, 2003 - 7:43 am: |
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Buck,I used radio shack rg-8 type cl-2,the dieelectric in that is tough enough to take a propane torch on high and the poly wont melt through,but wear gloves the 259s get darn hot.
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Buck
| | Posted on Saturday, December 27, 2003 - 7:46 am: |
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Well I know I cant give you the answer but I will tell you this. I thought the Lincoln had a quiet receiver untill I hooked it to my "buss bar". The Lincoln went dead(or so I thought) It was twice as quiet after that and I dont have a ground rod in yet....I just have the #4 wire ran outside laying on top of the ground. I couldnt believe how much differance it made in the noise level.
Buck |
Buck
| | Posted on Saturday, December 27, 2003 - 8:47 am: |
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Yea I used 213 and it has tough dielectric also....I always cut two little V's in the outside of the coax to make it screw on easier. Then I solder the center conductor and then the shield in all 4 holes.... I have some old QST mags with a ton of ways to install pl-259s in them
Buck |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Sunday, December 28, 2003 - 9:07 am: |
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Buck,your random length of wire became an rf ground,which does not need to be terminated at a ground rod,it acts like a perfect load to rf on your chassis,which if not taken care of causes static build-up and hence noise,also rf burns if you run power.I've tried grounded power cords,not good unless you want rf in your electrical system,ya know I'm glad you reminded me of this cheap and dirty trick,I'm gonna hook one up now and the good thing is 12 gauge will work just fine,had one on my old rig but kept tripping on wire never thought of shooting it outside,cool,thanks Buck.Bigbob |
mikefromms
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 12:08 pm: |
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What CA346 is doing must be right because he is the loudest CEF member I've heard on the net so far. In fact, I've heard him several times and talked to him at least twice. He's one of the big guns coming out of Caleefornkeea.
mikefromms |
Ca346
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 3:01 pm: |
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Well thank you Mike from Mississippi!
There is always one BIG factor tho.....
Conditions. If the conditions are not right, we could talk all day and it goes NOWHERE...
Having fun in KAHLIFOANIA... |
Ironmask
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 3:09 pm: |
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Bigbob,
May I enter my 2 cents into this great conversation? I have been following along and applaud the fine work all are doing and the lessons taught and learned.
I am well aware of the vast knowlege that exists here amoung the various members. Some day I may gain and retain a little of it. You know that thing called old age. Ha
In response to your question as to why the case is grounded. You are correct about the coax shield being at ground potential, but that does not cover the other areas within the unit. i.e. stray RF within from one component to another. Thus, with the case separately grounded you have put an entire shield around the unit. I don't know how better to put it.
Something else I did as far as this total grounding thing goes. In response to the noise reduction.
I have not only a 10' copper clad ground rod at the base of the antenna. The antenna is mounted on top of a telephone pole making it's base at 45'. There is a #4 welding cable from the antenna base to the ground rod. Extending outward from the base of the antenna 20' are 4 #4 plain copper stranded wires. Each ends at an 8' ground rod. All these cables are 2' below the surface of the ground and all inter connected to each other as well as the ground rod at the base. There is a #4 welding cable that connects the rod at the base to the station ground rod.
Within the shack is a 3/4" copper tube that has been flattened and run at the rear of the shelf. All components [radio, meters, DSP filter, amps, etc.] are attached to it. The TVI filters are connected directly to the ground rod with their own wires. 10 ga.covered wire.
Thanks for letting me butt in. Iron Mask CEF 100 |
Boxcar
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 5:59 pm: |
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How do you ground all these wires coming off radio's and tvi filters and run them outside without it looking cluttered and messy? Do you have them running outside windows or perhaps a hole through the house insulated fairy good? Just wondering because I have a pole I'm going to set up here within the next month or two(weather permitting) and want to ground everything out the right way so I don't have any interference with the neighbor which I've had in the past with a penetrator 500 but ordered an imax 2000 to lighten the load as far as putting up another antenna without the tower set up like before(had new siding put on the house). |
Barracuda
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 8:45 pm: |
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Guys,
Is it wise to assume that the coax shield is at ground potential? If not explicitly grounded, could there not be RF present there as well? Naturally you would also try to eliminate that with any of the means available to do so (chokes, etc), but I think it not a good idea to simply assume it's not there. |
Barracuda
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 8:50 pm: |
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Guys,
Is it wise to assume that the coax shield is at ground potential? If not explicitly grounded, could there not be RF present there as well? Naturally you would also try to eliminate that with any of the means available to do so (chokes, etc), but I think it not a good idea to simply assume it's not there. |
Ironmask
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 9:02 pm: |
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Boxcar
My entire setup is in one end of my shop. A separate room. My answer was to drill a hole through the wall the same as the telephone company or cable company would do. I made mine 9/16 in diameter and filled it with clear caulk.
With your new siding I would find a window or drill a hole as described. Tip the siding up and cut a notch in it's lower edge for the wire to pass through without the siding cutting it.
With this size of hole all wires [from the buss as well as the indvidule wires] can go through the same hole. Hope this has been of help. |
Boxcar
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - 7:50 pm: |
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thanks for the replies. just thought i'd throw that question out there because everyone's opinion is always appreciated and gives me more idea's.
BoXCaR |
Karatebutcher
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2004 - 11:58 am: |
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I have an 8 foot grounding rod, my soil is built up foundation of very large rocks, you can drive gown about 6 inches, if I cut the ground Rod into 1 foot sections wraped them in copper wire 10 gage, and burried it in a hole with a shovel about 2 to 3 feet would this help.
Thanks guys |
Ironmask
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2004 - 1:12 pm: |
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KB,
With that idea you wouldn't have enough surface working for you.
Is it possible to go out away from the foundation?
The distance to get a good ground would not effect the loss of the wire going from the shack to the ground rod.
I have found that one needs all the rod in the ground and that its better if it is totally below the surface. Saves on lawn mowers and trimmers.
Hope that helps a little. |
Karatebutcher
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2004 - 7:24 pm: |
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Thank you Ironmask, I will figure something out, the soil here is a story in it"s self. |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2004 - 8:49 pm: |
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Karate' check with local demolition companies some have machines that send high freq.sound waves into concrete slabs to crumble them to make it easier to dispose of,may work on very rocky soil,'course 1000$ an hour is a bit pricy.Bigbob |
Karatebutcher
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2004 - 10:19 pm: |
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Thank you BiGBob SOUND IDEA |
298
| | Posted on Sunday, February 01, 2004 - 9:20 pm: |
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i poked me a hole in the shed wall with the bale sticker and stuck me a leftover piece of 6/0 welding cable out the hole and welded it to the john deere combine out in the weeds...this is tied to my sears 23 channel...i use my stick welder for the power sourse,,,man that baby smokes.....
73 from the cornpatch |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Sunday, February 01, 2004 - 10:31 pm: |
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Where I work we have bronze screen,it looks like copper but a little lighter in color,it is a real tight weave,does not corode,is solderable and comes in 500' rolls,from two to eight feet wide,talk about potential ground screen.But we'd have to prepay for it,at 2.50 a square foot,maybe prohibitive.Bigbob |
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