[TowerTalk] Tower Grounding advice

[jimlux]

R. Kevin Stover wrote:
> Scott Neader KA9FOX wrote:
>> 1) How much distance from the tower to the first ground rod?
>>   
> 
> 8 foot ground rod 8 feet out from the base.
>> 2) How much distance from the first ground rod to the second ground 
>> rod?  I am assuming it should be 16 feet, based on past research (add 
>> up the length of each ground rod, as if you had laid them on the ground)
>>   
> I have always heard twice the length of the rod, 16' in this case.
> 
>> 3) How to attach this 3/4" braided copper strap to the ground rods?
>>   
> Don't use braid. Get some 2" copper strap and use Cadweld one shots to 
> weld the strap to the ground rods.


or 2/0 stranded cable (not welding cable, which is very fine strands and 
corrodes too easily) or even AWG 6 solid wire.  The inductance isn't all 
that much different, and even BIG lightning currents won't melt AWG6.

You're better off with multiple smaller wires spread around to multiple 
rods than one big honkin' copper bar.

You use big wire to deal with mechanical stress issues more than anything.






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