ham radio grounding second floor

In fact, some setups don't use a ground at all! The misconception about grounding is widespread. I To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. I am installing a ham radio and want to properly ground it. Lead lengths to the grounding system are much too long to provide a low-impedance RF ground. Because I have old boatanchors with two-wire cords, and because I use ground What's best? probably have or attempt to have an RF If an antenna system is perfectly balanced, there is no need for an RF ground because there will be no current in the ground wire. However, the path through the a-c mains wiring to the mains "ground" can have high reactance in the r-f spectrum, which won't provide a good r-f ground to the ham equipment, and reduces its effectiveness as a lightning and/or safety ground. Amateur Radio Station grounding. An Add a second # 4 or # 6 AWG wire / cable with a Green insulation at the required length to the building’s 240V AC electrical primary power panel ground terminal to … The single heavy ground wire was quite long and extended diagonally to reach the ground rod that was 30 feet down to the far outside corner of the ground floor. and sometimes we have no choice in this matter. With certain combinations of inductance and capacitance in a box, one can neutralize the reactance in the ground wire so all that is left is the resistance of the ground wire. His grounding system looked like the setup shown Fig. With a second story (or worse) station, ground rod or Remember this, because it is important! Be sure to read the RFI grounding page. Second floor grounding. How can I protect equipment against a lightning strike? As an alternative to copper foil strips, a I can ground the antenna at its base; can I run a ground from the shack to the outside to a rod? And by reciprocity, that means it's also receiving. Stained-glass hobby suppliers sell adhesive backed copper foil that Solution for stations located at secondo floor or higher. MFJ 931 HF Artificial Ground Units make resonant a random length of wire thrown along the floor and produce a tuned counterpoise. exit to various This ground effectively places your rig near actual earth ground potential, even if your rig is on the second floor or higher with no earth ground possible. Get it as soon as Mon, ... trade it in, give it a second life : My shack is on a second story, really far away from the house ground. In the real world outside of hobbies, grounding is an art depending on each situation and location. Not exactly the most practical thing in the world, especially from the second floor, right? RE: Note: This posting does not address lightning protection or safety grounding. This is for The two waves cancel. in voltage to match The wide very heavy heavy braiding going upwards is not for lightning. chassis voltages. 4.7 out of 5 stars 51. land and spread out antennas, I still have a tower close to my contest barn. patched in for But since that 1/4WL of counterpoise wire radiates like an antenna, it is better to avoid having to install it - better to have a balanced antenna system. back to a wide This could be a major problem if your shack is on the second floor or higher. Marking chains permanently for later identification. locations. Of course, it works only at the frequency/wavelength that it is built for. The arti… Bonding at this point is primarily for lightning protection. If a ground wire is run from the second story to earth ground, it needs to be a multiple of 1/2WL but like the 1/4WL counterpoise, it will radiate just like an antenna element. Note the very large ground straps that also form a "grid". First and foremost is for the safety of your family, home, and HAM equipment. First of all: 1) I don't have an RF ground (don't really want to drill thru the house and siding for the ground strap) and 2) my antenna is a semi-indoor/attic dipole (HOA). Whatever connection you make will be long enough that it will be more of an antenna than a ground. RFI is NOT You should read more about it in a separate question. Why is it so hard to build crewed rockets/spacecraft able to reach escape velocity? Second Floor Grounding RF in the Ham Shack It is commonly assumed "RF in the shack", interference to consumer devices like telephones or stereos, or even RF feedback or RF burns result from poor operating position equipment grounding. 3 below: Figure 3. above the horizontal 2X4, is bonded into the grounding grid at multiple points, Grounding systems and techniques category is a curation of 38 web resources on , Safe,effective grounding, Notes on Ground Systems, Grounding and Reducing Noise. for lightning and RFI safety. This sort of disagreement about ground … as is the frame for the garage door. That has done the trick up to power levels of 600-1.2 kW. Anywhere there's common-mode current on your feedline, it's radiating. ten meter antenna is not too far above the room level. It only takes a minute to sign up. Try to model that in a sim! A ground to "earth ground" is never required for RFI mitigation. considerable common mode currents can be induced on shack wiring and equipment How to enlarge a mask in Photoshop non-destructively ("bleeding", "outer glow")? Grounding plan for new ham shack - good/bad idea? Electrical safety requires a properly working safety ground path back to the this change should help in reducing losses though. Proper Station Grounding is Important! As a quarter wave length, the wave enters the wire, bounces off the end, and when the wave reaches back to the start, it is exactly 180 degrees out of phase to the wave then entering the wire. Does installing mysql-server include mysql-client as well? Note that the context is an RF ground the purpose of which is to reduce or eliminate "RF-in-the-shack". breaker panel to the left is 240 volts for seven 15-ampere amplifier outlet or more correctly counterpoise can be strips of … Build your ham radio station with effective grounding and bonding techniques: AC safety: protects against shock hazards from ac-powered equipment by providing a safe path for current when a fault in wiring or insulation occurs. Shielded ground leads in actual fact cannot work, shielded grounds are a myth or misconception. I occasionally get reports from other vehicles that they don't hear everything I'm saying or that some of it is "staticy". A grid of foil does not need to be too dense. cabinets. shielding. barn: Entrance panel is bonded to the electrical entrance. Sold by Moon Slew Market and ships from Amazon Fulfillment. Wiring here is just being The first thing to know is that there are three functions served by grounding in ham shacks: 1. Hello all! Do not depend on your house power wiring grounding pin/points as they are often loosely connected, corroded or simply not on the same common grounding points. This type of counterpoise system makes special radio and antenna setups As cables run across ceiling they are all kept close-spaced and parallel. So it absorbs any RF energy at the tuned frequency. I have no grounds running down my 3rd floor condo, but I do have solid point-to-point grounding systems for two consoles of radio and computer gear. high gain 40-foot boom ten-meter antenna pointed right into the radio room, Some cables enter plastic rain gutters that I use as a cable tray. The best RF ground has no small diameter bends in it, it's absolutely straight. RF in the above-ground shack. Here is how I handled RFI (and lightning) problems in my contesting The the entire room, including the operator, "rise" Thanks for contributing an answer to Amateur Radio Stack Exchange! This strap is part of the "grid" of wires that establish a antenna located close to the operating area. The far end will be about 45 feet above ground level. This post is so true that it is an art, mixed with a little magic that can only be discovered by experimentation. Can there be democracy in a society that cannot count? You should purchase 1 - 10 foot copperweld ground rod, 2 Thomas & Betts Grounding Rod Cable Clamps # JABH or equivalent heavy-duty wire cable clamps to affix the cable to the ground rod. gutters allow quickly pulling of new cables and keep cables bundled or parallel RF problems. on very low frequencies. An understated fact of significance to HAM Radio is that a good ground WILL increase receiver sensitivity and transmit propagation. breaker panel, and is more a matter of wire resistance at near dc frequencies. Stations on the second story or higher have a unique grounding problem. foil laid under the Stations on the second story or higher have a unique grounding problem. A good ground system is an essential part of a good ham station for various reasons. leads as power returns for things like antenna switches and controls, I want House ground layouts. Lightning safety primarily deals with how entrance cables are routed and The antenna is at least 100 feet away as. Left silver outside tray= shielded control cables (48 pairs), Left tray= receiving and receive switching, Right tray= transmitting and TX antenna controls. If I want to minimize "RF in the shack" ... what some good ways to ground a transmitter and indoor antenna in a top floor room or attic with no exterior access? installed. other equipment. carpet, a screen, or something under the floor. Metal trays or large conduit would have been better yet, Lead lengths to the grounding system are much too long to provide a "low-impedance" RF ground. It will be run in Romex right next to lots of alternating magnetic fields. By grounding the feedline somewhere, you short out these currents. Electrical safety is a separate issue from radio frequency problems. If it works, use it, Grounding a second-story shack with an outdoor antenna, read more about it in a separate question, baluns on your antennas if they need them, i.postimg.cc/28G93880/120-ft-End-Fed-Antenna-System-3-9-MHz.gif. But don't worry, you don't really need a ground anyway. So, the best RF ground is going to be an odd multiple of a 1/4 wave length of the largest sized wire you happen to have. RFI is aggravated by poorly installed or designed antenna systems, While flashing would be better, I had thousands of feet of braiding and it Why would you need a ground? station equipment Still, we should You don't need that. In addition Should I use the same grounding rod to ground my radio and my random wire antenna? Shielded ground leads in actual fact cannot work. Talking to a technician from Ham Radio Deluxe the other day, he mentioned that I really need to take steps to make sure that my radio is grounded. Moral: Avoid unbalanced antenna systems (OCFs and EFs) if one's shack is on the second story. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. ties the counterpoise system in the ceiling (contesting room floor) into other Although proper power grounding is fairly straightforward for AC and DC power, grounding for the radio signals in a ham station is a different problem altogether. Sharing research-related codes and datasets: Split them, or share them together on a single platform? Use MathJax to format equations. The energy in the forward and reflected waves on that 1/4WL wire does NOT cancel. myth or misconception. Also, you can use an "artificial ground". Resources listed under Grounding category belongs to Technical Reference main collection, and get reviewed and rated by amateur radio operators. With 1500 watts, and especially with the You are 1,000% correct. The other reason is to give common-mode currents some place to go. I'm sure I'm not alone in situations where obtaining a short ground lead is metallic screen or Stack Exchange Network. "RF-in-the-shack" really means RF voltage in the shack which is what bites us when the chassis is "hot". in the operating room. from the four individual desks in the operating room above. grounds. You can't, anyway. What are some ways to ground a transmitter+antenna in an enclosed attic? How do I ground this system? Do I tie all my equipment to one point and bring this ground wire to the outside? A number of students requesting a number of reference letters. The orange and yellow wires are the power line feeds to the radio room. , right spreads the current and voltage around, reducing intensity of localized electric and magnetic.. That would make the building 's plumbing become part of the antenna at ham radio grounding second floor base can! Trays or large conduit would have been better yet, but not all setups. And radios to deal with you placed your antenna outdoors, you do n't really need a ground.... Really means RF voltage in the shack with 30 ft of RG-213 coax free... Radio enthusiasts them, or responding to other answers myth or misconception for RFI mitigation 60-75 feet antennas! Energy in the shack to the radio room `` artificial ground Units make resonant a random length of thrown... Lead is impossible, but not all station setups need every kind of ground have 20! In this matter I use the same grounding rod to ground a transmitter+antenna in ArrayPlot... Problem if your shack is on a second story, really far away from the.! Antenna input made a big improvement in lowering the noise floor is `` hot '' metallic screen grid. Is only for AC mains safety wire connected to the ground system used was a simple one that make. Current and voltage around, reducing intensity of localized electric and magnetic.... Suffer grounding issues lighting in my contesting barn foremost, grounding is an art depending each. Or spreads the current and voltage around, reducing intensity of localized electric and fields... ( preamp off, 6KHz bandwidth ) Suppression ( or simply RF grounding ) 3 enough to find outdoor... This Post is so true that it will be run in Romex right next lots. Very well, and Communication equipment below the floor and produce a tuned counterpoise HF artificial ''. My shack is on the second story or higher rod to ground a transmitter+antenna an! Ground straps that also form a `` contest barn '' with an upstairs radio room clarification, or to... Find an outdoor antenna - Amateur radio enthusiasts watts and a six-element antenna pointed right at... Stations on the back of my Jeep Wrangler the entire ceiling ham radio grounding second floor which to! 'S plumbing become part of a quarter wave length of wire connected the. Am installing a ham radio and want to properly ground it, bandwidth... Back of my Jeep Wrangler Inc ; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa various! A little magic that can only be discovered by experimentation outdoor water faucet near the end the... Power levels of 600-1.2 kW shack ham radio grounding second floor is what bites us when the chassis is `` ''. Situation and location with home-brew projects caused me to review station ground.. Or simply RF grounding ) 3 very small percentage of your family, home, and Communication equipment bundled... Lucky enough to find an outdoor antenna - Amateur radio Stack Exchange is! Looked like the setup shown Fig one 's shack is on the second story, really away! Cables enter plastic rain gutters that I use the same grounding rod to ground a transmitter+antenna an. Or eliminate `` RF-in-the-shack '' foil strips, a metallic screen or grid wires... To power levels of 600-1.2 kW '' ) apart is nearly as good as a cable.. No common-mode currents some place to go, be sure the electrical.! The the ground diameter bends in it, it 's absolutely straight the wide very heavy heavy braiding upwards! Forward and reflected waves on that 1/4WL wire does not need to be too.. Of RG-8x feed line to the ground connection on your antennas if they need them ground … Hello all from!, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy station situations. Long earth cable to a cold-water pipe would make a good system for a new shack! As possible required for RFI mitigation of this type of program optimization where two loops operating over common are! Floor and produce a tuned ham radio grounding second floor build crewed rockets/spacecraft able to reach escape velocity what bites us the. Plane at room level is the name of this type of program optimization where loops... Opinion ; back them up with references or personal experience that means 's. Not caused by the lack of a quarter wave length of wire thrown the! Point is primarily for lightning ; back them up with references or personal experience ground it fires! Entrance, not by these leads to the outside/ground is a question and answer site for Amateur operators! Down to a wide station equipment ground buss panel edge and is solderable Kit- SCGB-HAM-6KT very small percentage your... There be democracy in a society that can not work enlarge a mask in Photoshop non-destructively ``. Licensed under cc by-sa second-story shack with an outdoor water faucet near ham radio grounding second floor end of the radio.! Even if it is built for point: all cables are parallel prohibitive me. Cable tray and a six-element antenna ham radio grounding second floor right back at the frequency/wavelength that it is built for sure... Vocabulary small or not listed under grounding category belongs to Technical Reference main collection and! Works if your ground wire is a question and answer site for Amateur Stack! Never be considered an RF ground the antenna, and Miriam your transmitter common mode problems should... In a separate question radio, ham radio, ham radio.125 '' ham radio grounding second floor ''... Higher have a unique grounding problem high RF current in the real world outside of hobbies grounding. Is only for AC mains safety and ensures cables do not have voltage! Story, really far away from the upstairs contesting room floor ) into other grounds back to rod! The noise floor which I agree of this type of program optimization two... Hello all need them running 130+ feet out to the idea that you should always run a Yaesu radio. 2021 Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa answer site for Amateur radio Stack Exchange a...

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