[RFI] Station ground - more

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

For instance, when I was wiring our new addition, the wiring included a sub-panel, 
connected to the main panel by a run of #00 4 wire cable. With the assistance of our 
youngest son, we drove an 8' ground rod directly under the sub-panel with the thought that I 
had to connect that to the sub-panel's ground lug.

Yet I was told by the electrical inspector that this was NOT allowed, but that we had to run a 
separate ground wire from the sub-panel at least 30 feet to the main-panel's ground lug and 
connect them together there.

I was also told that the ground-rods we drove (3 ea 8 footers, separated by at least 6 feet 
and all tied together) must be the ONLY such ground system in the entire home, and that 
every grounded item in the entire home must be connected to that and only to that.

So, why the apparent discrepancy?

For one thing, I suspect that the ~30' long ground wire from the sub-panel to the main panel 
is conducting RF, especially on 40 meters, into some of the electrical appliances in the new 
addition. I also believe that the present ground system in the shack is not adequate, since at 
present it is only being connected to the panel-ground through the green grounding wires of 
the electrical service.

Ken W7EKB

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