[TowerTalk] Where to find Surplus wire for ground

[Jim Lux]

On 11/13/12 5:12 AM, Rick Scott wrote:
> Local ARRL RFI rep says I need 2AWG minimum 1/0 would be better but it seems awful big.

For RFI?

that makes no sense from a physics standpoint.  If you're looking for 
low AC resistance, then invest your money in strap.  If you're looking 
for low inductance, diameter or size has a very small effect.


   Im running a ground from the Rig, Tuner etc to ground.

You need to read Jim K9YC's writeup on RFI and grounding.. 
http://audiosystemsgroup.com/RFI-Ham.pdf

  Grounding *rarely* solves RFI problems

The reason to provide a ground path from your rig is for safety, not for 
RF.  And realistically, the greenwire ground in the AC outlet is 
probably good enough for that.


If you have a common panel for your external wiring (coax, rotator, 
etc.) then a nice wire from there to the electrical ground  is useful, 
but then, you should bond the rig to that common point (at that panel 
with the coax, etc.).




   I had not done that yet when I moved the shack due to the non access 
of an outside opening.

   Im going in a wall hole where my Coax comes in, down to the crawl 
area and ground it there.
>
> --- On Mon, 11/12/12, Jim Lux <jimlux at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> From: Jim Lux <jimlux at earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Where to find Surplus wire for ground
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Date: Monday, November 12, 2012, 4:50 PM
>
> Why do you need AWG2?  Is it a lightning rod ground or do you have some particular reason to need that big?   AWG10 or AWG 6 would probably serve equally well, and is a LOT cheaper. (AWG6 is what is required by the electrical code for a bonding jumper) In commercial installations, AWG 2 is used a lot, but in that environment, the copper cost is small fraction of the total job cost (i.e. you're paying $50/hr or more for the guy that's dragging that wire off the truck and stringing it up)
>
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