[TowerTalk] Station Ground -- additional ground rods

Frank Donovan donovanf at erols.com
Sun Jan 16 16:08:43 EST 2005


Alan,

There's a very important reason for bonding multiple ground
systems (for example, your AC entrance panel ground
and your ham station single point ground) with low RF
impedance conductors.

You never know how a lightning surge will enter your home.
For example, it could come through your AC power line, your
telephone line, your cable TV coax, or from any of the cables
associated with your ham antenna system.

A surge could enter your home through a path that is not well
grounded, for example a telephone line or ham antenna cables
grounded through poor RF conductors such as braid straps.

You do not want the surge current to find its way to the
best available ground system through the AC power wiring in
your home, heating vents or devices that interconnect those
paths such as modems or televisions.  Instead, you want
the surge to follow the low impedance path that bonds all of
your grounds systems.

73!
Frank
W3LPL
donovanf at erols.com


----- Original Message -----
From: Alan NV8A (ex. AB2OS) <nv8a at att.net>
To: towertalk reflector <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2005 3:07 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Station Ground -- additional ground rods


> I can't find the message now, but I'm sure that somebody mentioned
> driving additional ground rods for the radio equipment.
>
> BUT (if I have understood the code correctly) the NEC requires all these
> grounds (together with the grounds from your TV antenna, satellite dish,
> phone service, etc.) to be connected to the power company's ground at
> the service entrance.
>
> Alan NV8A
> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any
questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
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