Questions tagged [grounding]
Use this tag for questions relating to RF and DC grounding in radio equipment. Specifically suggested methods, practices, equipment and regulations regarding grounding.
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Monopole antenna with no ground connection
I have a SDR device and have a question about using a monopole antenna with them, but the question could be applied to any device which uses an antenna.
SDR comes prepacked with a monopole antenna ...
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How to ground a transceiver in an apartment?
I've got some really dumb questions about station grounding. For starters, I live in an apartment; how can I ground a transceiver station using that screw on that back? I've got nowhere to sink a ...
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How to establish RF ground for 1/4 wave vertical in apt on 3rd floor (about 35ft above the ground)
I am struggling to understand how to introduce an MFJ-931 artificial RF ground into my current system and am hoping for some help to sort out best practices. Although my use-case seems pretty common, ...
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HF vertical 1/4w antenna on a tin roof?
I would like to build a 1/4 ~ vertical antenna on my tin roof for a ground plane.
Does the angle of the roof matter?
Should the antenna be vertical, or perpendicular to the roof?
Would it be better ...
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What is the best way to ground a whip antenna in a hotel room?
We have a 102" CB whip antenna cut for 10 meters. We're staying in a hotel and trying to figure out the best way to ground this antenna. Right now we're using a pile of wires on the floor, but we'...
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What balance (radials or counterpoise) do I need for a vertical hamstick as a stealth antenna?
I'm just getting back into operating after a long break. I'm currently in a ground-floor apartment of an old four-plex and I'm trying to set up a stealth-like antenna for HF. I decided on the Shark ...
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How to best ditch the counterpoise of a random wire antenna?
The "ground" has several effects on antennas, most of them negative (see e.g. Why does an HF "monopole" need dozens and dozens of radials while a VHF/UHF "ground plane" ...
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VNA basics, antenna coax cable
Recently purchased my first VNA (Nano VNA) and I'm trying to learn the basics.
I have a 150MHz 1/4 wave whip antenna that I need to install on a large metal object so I was hoping to use a VNA to help ...
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Can I connect my station ground to my house's ground rod?
I'm setting up my first HF rig and I'm reading a lot of conflicting information regarding station grounding. Can I connect my HF rig/station's ground to my house's ground rod or do I need a stand-...
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Why do mag mounts not achieve proper grounding seeing as the coax outer connects to ground?
Diamond instructions for my CR8900 antenna state that proper grounding is required for the antenna to work. The battery negative is already grounded and has continuity to the coax outer so isn't the ...
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Grounding an Inverter, good or bad if also plugged into a grounded AC Outlet? [closed]
If you have an DC/AC Inverter with a AC Transfer switch (so it also connects to grid power AC/110V to pull power from the grid when/if the 12V battery source drains down), and the inverter ...
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Antenna grounding / bonding in relation to my AC service (with pictures)
I'm trying to figure out how to properly connect new ground rods for an antenna to my main panel. Any advice from those who have done this + have great electrical knowledge would be greatly ...
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Grounding on second floor
I need to ground an upper floor shack, but I do not know very much about grounding. I have a Pathfinder dipole by Radio Wavz and I don't believe I need any RF grounding, but as for safety and ...
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Mounting a hex beam on top of a high urban building
I am moving into a new apartment in the city soon which is on the 24th and last floor of an apartment building. I will have access to the roof of the building also.
I'm still trying to understand ...
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Where can one get a "listed" SO-239 lightning arrester?
According to this summary of NEC requirements for radio antenna grounding (from 2014, but hopefully still somewhat accurate):
https://www.mikeholt.com/files/PDF/Radio_and_Television_2014NEC.pdf
It ...
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How to weather protect lightning arrester mounted directly on ground rod?
I have a very simple home HF setup, just one wire antenna. I'm having a ground rod installed soon, and am planning the best way to set up my exterior buss bar.
I'd really like to do an all-in-one ...
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Where to disconnect feed line for lightning safety?
I recently moved to a storm prone area, so I plan to disconnect my shack connections when not operating. An electrician is helping me install a ground rod (bonded to my utility ground) soon, but I ...
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Do modern radios and power supplies require grounding for safety?
Do modern radios require grounding to be used safely? All I am concerned about is not getting electrocuted when I attempt to use the radio. I'm not concerned with RFI or Lightning safety at this point ...
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RF ground confusion
I'm a bit confused by RF grounding. Let's take a HF 1/4 wave vertical antenna for example.
When current flows through the centre of the coax to the antenna, my understanding is that the current then ...
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Acoustic Communication issues [closed]
[![I've attached schematic, I am connecting transducer directly to that header pins on receiver side. On transmitter side I am connecting op-Amp to boost voltage to +10v -10v.][1]][1]I am working on ...
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Grounding a vertical antenna from a balcony
I have a multiband vertical antenna mounted onto the railings of my balcony apartment high up on the 6th floor of an apartment building. The antenna is not grounded. This antenna comes without radials....
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Can I use electrical ground / earth as my RF ground?
I live on a high floor in an apartment block and have a radial-free multi-band vertical antenna attached to my terrace railing. This is the antenna :
https://www.thunderpole.co.uk/amateur-radio-...
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Should the earth rod be incorporated in the total length of an RF grounding system?
I have installed a grounding system just outside my radio shack and was careful to avoid a quarter wavelength or multiples thereof (for single band use), or anything in total length that is close to ...
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Why is outer coax usually grounded?
I'm building a simple ground plane antenna for VHF, and I'm doing some research on grounding in case I want to permanently install it. I keep hearing that the ground rod is connected to the outer coax ...
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Ground pass through cinder block — copper pipe, braid, stranded?
What’s the best way to connect a station (desk) ground bus to an outside ground rod?
Is it viable to double-sleeve a copper tube through existing PVC pipe?
For coax pass thru, I have a 1.5” PVC pipe ...
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Why is it bad to put ground rods too close together?
It's understood that ground rods should be spaced by a distance equal to twice their length. I read one source that claimed reduced effectiveness if the rods are closer than that. Is that correct? ...
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How far from a cable entry point can the lighting suppressor be installed
I'm installing a transceiver in an office on the ground floor of a warehouse. The antenna will be 45 feet above the office on the roof of the warehouse. The ceiling of the office is a drop ceiling, ...
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Connecting copper strap to grounding rod
Is there a way I can connect a 2"x.025" copper strap to a 5/8" grounding rod that can be buried?
I've seen the bolt-on strap clamps, but those need to be inspected periodically. I've ...
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Does Improving Earth Conductivity Near a Buried Ground Rod Improve Antenna System Performance?
The suggestion has been made on various ham-related websites that improving the conductivity of the Earth around a ground rod produces a worthwhile improvement in the e-m radiation from a vertical ...
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Why are many ground radials preferable to a single ground stake buried 1m deep?
Surely a 1m copper stake provides better ground connectivity for a vertical dipole?
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4NEC2 radials & grounds
Teaching myself 4NEC2 and have most of it under control, which is good.
Regarding radials & grounds, i've been learning the "rules" NEC(2) has, summarised below.
4.1. Free space.
In the ...
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Is a Buried Ground Rod for the A-C Mains Service Entrance to a Building Also Useful as an R-F Ground?
A NEC4.2 analysis of the performance of a buried ground rod at the A-C mains entrance of a building shows it be ineffective in removing the common-mode r-f current that can flow along the OD of the ...
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Easy Digi hum with isolated ground
I am creating an Echolink simplex link using a Raspberry Pi 3 B+, a Pluggable USB sound adapter, and an "Easy Digi" sound card interface which has 2 - 600ohm isolation transformers for audio in/out as ...
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Grounding for lightning safety - upper floor (UHF/microwave antennas)
I have some UHF, microwave antennas and an antenna rotator on a roof mounted mast. The "radio room" is in the second floor just below the antennas. Also the service entrance for building electricity ...
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Should I use the same grounding rod to ground my radio and my random wire antenna?
I have an end fed random wire antenna about 50 feet from my shack into an antenna tuner. I do not have the option to install a ground rod at the house entrance but I do at the antenna feed point. The ...
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Where am i supposed to ground the audio path?
Where does the ground of the audio path go in this schematic?
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Which is Better to Use with Vertical Monopoles: Buried Radials or Ground Screens?
Many threads posted on various websites over the years have included statements/beliefs on this subject, but support there for the accuracy of those statements sometimes is minimal. An accurate ...
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Coax fed dipole: shield goes to one side, yet is grounded via chassis line to Earth
Suppose I have a coax-fed half-wave dipole antenna. The coax shield goes to one side of the antenna, the center conductor to the other side. The transceiver's chassis is connected (via the coax ...
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Is a lightning arrestor required with a ground rod?
I am building an out building ham shack. I am planning to install an 8 foot ground rod for the antenna. Does the radio require an additional ground to the rod as well or do I need to install a ...
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Does RF go through thin corrosion better than DC?
I might have a bit of a problem with my groundplane, but I am unsure.
I am using a ground screen instead of radials. The problem is the ground screen is made of galvanized metal, but I can see that a ...
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ISOTRON 80m 75m Antenna Position
I know, a dipole is the way to go, but cannot fit one, only a
'birdhouse' antenna like the 75m 80m Isotron antenna.
Is it better to put at 15 feet Above Ground Level outside, or 20 feet AGL ...
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Does copper wire get sold as flat straps to reduce inductance?
The extra book (11-9) safety section mentions that a "large diameter wire, or even better, a wide flat strap, has the lowest inductance and makes the best ground connection." Does anyone actually have ...
user15628
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Grounding for an upper floor shack
My shack is on the second floor, 4m from the ground. My main antenna is a base loaded vertical, using the metal roof (10x6m) as a ground plane.
When I operate in 20 and 40 meters, it's pretty ...
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Grounding of a portable setup
I am occasionally using an extremely simple shortwave portable setup consisting of a battery, the transceiver, a short coax feedline and a vertical half-wavelength vertical antenna with a transforming ...
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How do I interpret the FCC ground conductivity map files?
The FCC has .seq files that show ground conductivity which it makes available for download. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any documentation that comes with the files, or even headers.
I ...
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Grounding a chimney mounted antenna
I'm installing a new antenna mast to hold one or more antennas. The new mast will be strapped on to a chimney near the center of my house. Coax will run down the mast, across the roof, down the side, ...
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What are the effects of a ground plane under a horizontal dipole?
What are the effects on signal propagation if this ground plane is just a metal object and what are the effects if the ground plane is actually grounded?
I am asking this question because someone ...
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Do I have to disconnect antennas during thunderstorms?
lightning damage can be extensive and costly, its even life-threatening.
If I have properly grounded the equipment and have a Surge protection device, do I have to disconnect the antennas during the ...
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Ufer ground and ground rods
I am about to build a new house with a ham shack incorporated in it. I am considering installing number 4 copper wire in the foundation around the perimeter as my ground ring. Is it necessary to ...
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Counterpoise/ground/radial options for an Inverted L
I have two 10-meter masts to support a 40-meter inverted L. I have a decent enough sized yard that I have a few options for counterpoise/ground/radial.
I could run 1/4 wave radials in several ...
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