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Re: [TowerTalk] Grounding wire choices

To: Dick Green WC1M <wc1m73@gmail.com>, Towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Grounding wire choices
From: Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net>
Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2018 17:52:41 -0700
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Agree that #2 is "standard", at least it was for a cell tower subcontractor that sold me a spool of tinned solid in his going out of business sale.  IIRC the NFPA code recently changed to #2. Solid is the choice if buried.  Harger also makes exothermic (copper thermite) welding kits (K7FP stocks them) and has an informative web site:  harger.com

Grant KZ1W

On 10/7/2018 9:43 AM, Dick Green WC1M wrote:
I'm a little late to the party, but my recollection is that #2 solid is the
industry standard. Could be wrong about that, but worth checking.

Definitely go with solid. I used 1/0 stranded, which is overkill size-wise,
something of a bear to work with, and probably not a great choice in terms
of potential loss of continuity between the strands.

I strongly urge you to Cadweld the wire to the rods, rather than using
clamps. It's well worth the cost.

Definitely no need to run a ground wire from the remote antenna to the
shack. My understanding is that's true as long as the distance is 75-feet or
more. That said, even though the roof-mounted antenna is 100 feet away, I'd
still bond it to the single-point-ground, breaker box, etc.

73, Dick WC1M

-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Smith <Gary@ka1j.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 7, 2018 12:55 AM
To: Towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Grounding wire choices

Thanks, From the comments I've received,
#4 solid is what I'll be using. That's
what I needed to know.

73,

Gary
KA1J

I agree with Chick, my references say that #6 will survive a strike
without fusing but it may come close.  I use #6 solid but have a few
parallel paths so the current is spread out.  Have noticed that it
seems common practice to use a coarse braided ground line in the south
but don't know why.  Skin effect resistance might be lower but
inductive reactance dominates the impedance so that shouldn't help
much.-Mike-WA6ZTY

       From: Chick Allen via TowerTalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
  To: Gary@ka1j.com; towertalk@contesting.com
  Sent: Saturday, October 6, 2018 5:50 PM
  Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Grounding wire choices

Take a look at Motorola R56 guideline for grounding.  Great
publication.  If you can, include intermediate ground rods as R56 will
show.  In MHO, #6 is ok, but #4 would be better.  Stick with solid
copper wire for grounding. GL 73 de Chick, NW3Y


-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Smith <Gary@ka1j.com>
To: towertalk <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Sun, Oct 7, 2018 1:15 am
Subject: [TowerTalk] Grounding wire choices

I am in the process of pounding in
grounding rods between the breaker box, the roof mounted antenna
ground wire and the coax entrance. I will be bonding all together.

The choice of wire I'm not sure about. #4 or # 6, solid or stranded.
I'll be using about 100' of it. It seems like the thicker, the better
but maybe #6 is fine?
I have no idea about stranded or solid, seems like for this, solid
would have greater mass & be better? I have no idea.

#6 is a pick-up, #4 is an order.

The remote antenna is 370' away so I won't be running it to there.

Thoughts?

73,

Gary
KA1J
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