How to ground a ham radio. Myth: "Earthing and grounding are the same thing.
How to ground a ham radio Ground Rods so easy a pre-teen can do it. If a ground wire is run from the second story to earth ground, it needs to be a Amateur Station RF Grounding . (ie - I can't run a wire down the side of the building to the ground, and the HOA just busted me for running a 17 foot counterpoise for my antenna). Support KB6NU. Once the second ground rod is installed, it's not necessary for the two to meet the resistance requirement. I will have a 20' mast with a long wire antenna running 130+ Grounding the antenna ensures safety and enhances your radio’s performance. But before you press that transmit button, there's a critical For ham radio grounding, copper grounding rods work best. Automotive is a 2-wire power and ground architecture where negative is both a circuit conductor and ground. He is wondering how are you to ground when you are doing portable operations? Subscribe: ht The J-Pole antenna, more properly known as the J antenna [6], is one of the most popular antennas for 2m vertical use in the amateur radio ranks. This is especially true for vertical antennas, where the ground plane plays a crucial role in the overall performance. Step 2: Drive Ground Rods into the Soil. --Dave, N9KMY. All it takes is water and time. A coupe years ago I showed a video on how I grounded my shack. Made a 2 s unit difference on my New Ham Radio Shack Build Out: Episode 3 - Correct Grounding and Bonding for the Ham Radio ShackSUPPORT THE CHANNEL:Patreon: https://patreon. Look for rods that are at least 5/8-inch in diameter and 5 to 10 feet long. The radio will be destroyed. Working at water treatment plants, you should have seen some sort of Using a Faraday Cloth vs Radials with Vertical Ground Plane Antennas in Ham Radio. Curt, KB9JQU, has a newer question around the topic of grounding. More grounding rods mean a lower ground Grounding your Ham Radio Shack is important! In this video, due to viewer requests, I am showing how I currently have my shack grounded. Thus the more conductor surface area the more ground path conductivity. We go over how to ground, where should you place your grounding rods and how far apart you should put another grounding rod. It’s good to know that the small diameter magnetic wire will work for the ground mounted 6BTV radials. Yes my radio shack is in a steel shed. Electrical Safety 2. A more robust grounding system, often involving multiple ground rods or a ground grid, is typically recommended for ham radio stations. I’m not even an amateur radio operator. If you are wondering what Amateur Radio is about, it's basically a two way radio service where This video demonstrates the correct way to mount and ground mobile antennas. Would it be better to run a ground wire from the antenna mount to a ground point, probably Adjective -a type of connection, a “ground conductor” or “ground system” It can mean all of these things at the same time “I’m grounding the chassis to ground with a ground wire. Thoughts include: Lightning seeks the best path to ground. Myth: "Earthing and grounding are the same thing. #hamshackgrounding #earthing #grounding #k4srfhamradioHere is how I ground, or "Earth" my Ham Shack equipment. Grounding systems and techniques category is a curation of 40 web resources on , Second floor grounding, Verticals. Okay first I am going to repeat the Stray RF section from the "Wire Antennas" page to get started, then we will go into what I think is your best way to ground your This is an article about Ham Radio grounding that I wrote some time ago when I added a second ground and entry point for my shack for some additional antennas. They provide good conductivity and corrosion resistance. 56-59 A three part series that develops a plan for protection the amateur station. If a ham radio had been installed with direct battery connection, it would have been the ground connection. If you connect your antenna to the ground wire, then the ground of the radio and the ground of the power supply for the radio will be different, and if there is a voltage difference between the two grounds, which is a distinct possibility, then there will be AC current flowing in your equipment, the result can be burnt out ground tracks in the Welcome to the Smoky Mountain Amateur Radio Club. Home. Grounding the antenna properly makes it secure to use. ] The hinges of trunks and hoods may not provide adequate electrical connectivity for effective ground plane integration. given other constraints. Many hams operators and most radio A radio tower needs to give all that energy a convenient path to ground in the case that Mother Nature comes to call with a friendly bolt or two. Okay first I am going to repeat the Stray RF section from the "Wire Antennas" page to get started, then we will go into what I think is your best way to ground your amateur radio equipment, so that during a lightning strike everything isn't fried. For example, a quarter-wave monopole above a ground plane of radials or saltwater works well. It could even start a fire. Exam Prep. In the world of amateur radio, commonly known as ham radio, the effectiveness of an antenna system is paramount. ” The Earth is NOT –a magic sink into which we can pour RF or lightning and expect it to magically and safely disappear What IS“Ground” Anyway The goal of a good RF ground system is to obtain as little resistance as possible from the antenna/tower to ground and the radio to ground. Licensed Amateur Radio operator in 1996 as IW5EDI, active member of ARI Firenze and ARRL; Class 1970, married with two childrens, love A typical ground station for contacting the ISS station includes a 2-meter FM transceiver and 25-100 watts of output power. Next, you will need to determine how Run it to a ground rod and enjoy hearing stations that were covered up before. The path of least resistance to ground. This is only a suggestion as to one way to ac Grounding also serves as a common ground (lol), then to have a path to stray/common currents, for operator safety with old/tube hardware (or poorly tuned modern high power), to minimize/make better bad tuned aerial serving as radio ground. Join local amateur radio clubs where seasoned operators can offer mentorship and guidance in setting up your station, maintaining equipment, and troubleshooting issues. You don't need a whole Faraday cage to protect against this; just a ring of wide copper strap around a building will do, forming a sort of The cheapest ham radio antenna is normally a 1/4 wave ground plane antenna. $\endgroup$ – So, you don’t have to have a ground rod either at the generator or at the powered equipment (i. When installing a mobile antenna on your vehicle, proper grounding is essential for safety Terms RFI – Radio Frequency Interference A disturbance generated by external source that affects an electrical circuit by electromagnetic induction, electrostatic coupling, radiated or conducted. First and foremost, grounding is for the safety of your family, home, and ham equipment. Links to wire: https://amzn. and opportunities for collaboration. My shack is located in my office on one side of the house. [Video of this mobile station in op. I have been a ham for over 40 years and worked in GM dealer ships all that time, as Service Grounding: From the ground terminal on your radio (next to the antenna terminal) run a wire to either a copper cold-water pipe (PVC pipe won’t work) or a copper ground rod driven into the ground. [One kit example from DX Engineering. The idea to "ground" a radio itself to it's chassis is still mostly a hold over from the 1940's and 50's before the advent of 3rd wire grounded outlets came into widespread use. The antenna acts as a lightning rod, and the ground provides a path for the electrical current to escape. Today we go over some of the basics of station grounding and what kinds of ha Ham Radio Antenna Grounding: A Complete Guideline. BONDING AND GROUNDING FOR AMATEUR RADIO John Wagner, N8CD Some content within is the work of others, attributed in-line. But before you press that transmit button, there's a critical step that could mean the difference between seamless communication and a catastrophic failure: grounding your ham radio antenna. This web page is for information that extends or supports the book Grounding and Bonding for the Radio Amateur, Second Edition. In addition, it's usually desirable to have an electrical ground for lightning and static electricity protection. If one has an artificial ground box and the wire to ground is 1/4WL, neutralizing the reactance will not help as the RF resistance is sky high. Licensed Amateur Radio operator in 1996 as IW5EDI, active member of ARI Firenze and ARRL; Class 1970, married with two childrens, love An antenna design that requires grounding to suppress the common-mode or improve efficiency is a poor antenna design, unless significant effort is made to make a low-loss ground. This is achieved by making a lower impedence path to ground than you feedline presents. In the past we often would use metal water pipes which For ham radio grounding, copper grounding rods work best. Two typical PolyPhaser protectors for Amateur Radio use below 1 GHz are shown in Figure 7. Grounding electrodes, such as ground rods should be deep enough into the ground, use 8′ rods. Although proper power grounding is fairly straightforward for AC and DC Ham radio antenna grounding is an important topic an amateur radio operator needs to clearly understand. The answer is that there is no RF ground. Grounding conductors should be of sufficient size and conductivity to handle anticipated currents and provide low-resistance paths to the Earth. This includes fuse taps, and so-called accessory sockets, aka cigarette lighter sockets! It clearly represents the correct wiring scenario, whereas the negative lead Why or when is a ham station ground necessary? For example a microphone input has a ground inside the radio. Josh The antenna mast itself is grounded properly to a ground rod via a #6 copper wire. I am still adding m Proper electrical grounding is crucial for both safety and optimal performance when setting up a ham radio station. Being a ham radio operator, you at least had to memorize a few things about radios and electronics to get your license. Neither the mount nor the antenna is grounded because of that coating on the crossbar. to help inform people about the amazing possibilities of amateur radio and I’m on a quest Amateur Radio Station Grounding RCC Mar 2007 - Lane Giard, N7ZXP This article comes from Don Young, N7DY, which was in The Wenatchee Radio Club News letter. >>> To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information This Ask Dave episode focuses on grounding your amateur radio station, a topic of interest to many hams! YOUR VEHICLE RADIO POWER: No amateur radio grounding and bonding guide would be complete without discussing putting a radio in your vehicle. com/user/davecasler. Bury at least two rods 6 to 8 feet apart, and connect them together with copper wire to form a grounding grid. We’ll add an extra 2m design for the Americans who get their brass brazing Ground Mounting: If you choose to ground mount the vertical, pick a spot that will allow you the best chance of spreading your radials evenly around the antenna, and away from trees and other objects if possible. It has been around for many decades [1]. I'm in a 5th floor condo, and I'm having some issues with grounding my radio and my antenna. 53-55 Using a window screen instead of a conventional ground radial network for a vertical antenna is an effective small space method to improving your signal stre Imagine standing in your backyard, surrounded by your ham radio setup, ready to connect with fellow enthusiasts across the globe. Mobile Antenna Grounding Methods for CB and Ham Radios. Ground systems and some history, Grounding and Reducing Noise. e. It describes how ham radio operators can use inexpensive materials to create a lightning protection system for their stations that is similar to what a commercial transmtter site would use: how to place ground rods and copper strapping, a description of the (very expensive) Cadweld process and the MAPP gas and silver brazing rod alternative Here is a step by step approach for an amateur radio vertical antenna mount using only a hole, gravel and a piece of plumbing pipe. With a direct lightning strike there is almost no way to avoid some damage to structure, cable, electronics, and almost anything nearby that is a conductor. To build the Providing good grounding — for both AC and DC power as well as for the radio signals — is very important for a trouble-free ham radio shack. Clean or replace ground connections: Anything that’s exposed to the outdoors will eventually weather and corrode. Or the way I do it. I have covered J-Poles quite a bit on Never, ever use existing vehicle wiring to power any amateur radio gear. "Use a good grounding system outside. After antennas, station grounding is probably the most discussed subject in amateur radio and it is also the one replete with the most misconceptions. It’s also common to put one ground rod at the generator and one at the station. Next is RF grounding. Thus the more conductive Before connecting anything directly to earth ("ground" in the US), you need to be aware how your home is wired. If lightning strikes your antenna, the path might go down the feed line and to your radio. In case this topic sounds strange to you, or you have heard people talking about it in the past, and it still seems Imagine standing in your backyard, surrounded by your ham radio setup, ready to connect with fellow enthusiasts across the globe. That’s what this question is getting at. Many amateur radio installations have an independent radio-room ground rod installed just outside the radio room. Figure 13—Aerial view of tower and equipment building showing recommended ground radials and perimeter ground. like no stakes in the ground. As a practical matter, few electricians do the resistance measurement. Lightning not • Single Point Ground for the Ham Shack • All Cables Entering the Ham Shack Surge Protected • Use Proper Size Ground Conductor, as Short as Possible Disclaimer: You are on your own to do the best job possible to protect your amateur radio systems as these common practices may work for you to reduce risk. WHO IS THIS GUY ANYWAY? •John Wagner, N8CD •Been a ham since 1978 •Have made lots of mistakes in this Summarizing data contained in “Radio Broadcast Ground Systems,” Stanley compiled the following table, which appears in The ARRL Antenna Book, 22 nd Edition. The required materials include ground rods, heavy stranded grounding cables, ground clamps, and/or a thermal welding system to connect the cables. Signals propagating nearly vertically approach A quick demonstration on grounding your radio station to keep the EMI down. One aspect often overlooked by new amateur radio enthusiasts is properly grounding your antenna. Tony, KF0EJU, has an antenna on a 30ft masts and is asking how he should ground it?Subscribe: https://youtube. Be sure to read the RFI grounding page. The ground system used was a simple one that would Grounding my radio gear. Jim discusses how he grounds his station to the electrical system to avoid ground loops and other issues. Thus the more conductive In today's video we are revisiting my shack grounding. Grounding might seem like $\begingroup$ @Optionparty Most of the damage from nearby strikes comes from strong voltage gradients over the ground or between the ground and things near it, causing arcing, causing things near the ground to effectively be grounded. 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. What if you decide to use one anyway? A single ground rod at the generator or the station is okay and doesn’t create any hazards. Well, the Patrons have spoken and want to hear about shack grounding, one of, if not THE MOST contested topics in ham radio. The term “grounding” which means a connection to the earth, is openly applied to many different purposes in amateur radio. Grounding the antenna ensures Hi all, New ham here. Please Consult local codes to confirm specific grounding requirements in your area. Another good tenet is that the antenna’s ground side (coaxial shield usually via the mount But a program called Parks on the Air—or more commonly POTA—aims to get ham radio operators out of the shack and into the great outdoors. In the article on Understanding a Ground Plane, we showed that many different sets of dimensions can be used, depending on the length of the vertical part and the number of radials. Antenna is a dipole located off of the other side of the Grounding: From the ground terminal on your radio (next to the antenna terminal) run a wire to either a copper cold-water pipe (PVC pipe won’t work) or a copper ground rod driven into the ground. The book brings together material from numerous Amateur Radio and industry sources to present a comprehensive picture of basic grounding and bonding practices related to ac electrical safety, lightning protection, and the Since I'll be using it with a 12VDC mobile transceiver, I could conceivably keep the tranceiver isolated from ground, leaving the antenna & transceiver ground completely separate from the building ground, but that seems quite unsafe if there is a difference in ground potential between the back yard and front yard. This does not drop incoming signals it just gives noise that comes in the shack on the shielding portion of the coax a direct path to ground. Did we missing Something, let me know and i will be should to do a You have three different type of grounding used in HAM radio. Stray RF Suppression (or simply RF See more I am installing a ham radio and want to properly ground it. Included is a story about know-it-all relatives. The first thing to know is that there are three functions served by grounding in ham shacks: 1. Skip to content. Josh Centers. Grounding my “tin” shed. Presented is a method learned from other hams on how to install a ground rod with minimal or no hammering. Over time, corrosion can build Certainly, the radio will be electrically grounded to the house ground too, but the secondary ground serves to ground the radio chassis and antenna to a common ground. A circularly polarized crossed-Yagi antenna capable of being pointed in both azimuth (North-South-East-West) Amateur Station RF Grounding . Many amateur radio and electronics distributors sell ready-to-install kits or parts specifically for exhaust system grounding, or you can homebrew your own. We should never use an independent ground rod or rods just outside the station as a station I'm wanting to ground my vehicle ham radio antenna to improve 6 meter transmission and transmission. Serving East Tennessee from the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Position the first rod approximately 2 feet from the tower base. Ham radio operation is a fun and rewarding hobby, but it’s imperative to ensure your equipment is safely installed. A good RF ground has the least amount of resistance to electrons being conducted to ground via the most amount of conducting surface area (skin) that is practical. Lightning Protection For Antennas. When I installed the original pipe in the ground I learned several lessons and continued to hear more good ideas as time went by. Use a sledgehammer or ground rod driver to drive the rod into the ground, leaving about 6 inches exposed for wire connection. While both of these protec-tors are shown with UHF-female connectors on both the antenna and equipment sides of the protector, type N connectors are avail-able, as are combinations of male and female connectors. many, many comments later and some ne The most controversial thing in Ham Radio, Grounding the shack. Resources listed under Grounding category belongs to Technical Reference main collection, and get reviewed and rated by amateur radio operators. Then how Frank should ground his shack. In some places (for example, the UK), the earthing system TN-C-S (see the Wikipedia article) is used, which makes it potentially dangerous (like, The engine to chassis bonding wire had broken. Table 1: Six Possible Configurations for Ground Radials (Source: The ARRL Antenna Book) The figures reflect results over average soil conditions–6-8 mS/m Grounding System. " While the terms "earthing" and "grounding" are often used interchangeably, they That's your RF ground. The goal of a good RF ground system is to obtain as “little” resistance as possible between the “antenna/tower-to-ground” and the “radio-to-ground”. Helping with Noise Reduction. "Is it NEC compliant?", "Are my Here are some practical techniques to improve your ham radio ground. Lightning Protection for the Amateur Radio Station -- Part 2 QST July 2002, pp. connected to an external ground system. . Tower Grounding System We recently put up a new tower at our station to support a 2m EME station that we are building. to/2IG0vf4& ring terminals: https://amzn. A viewer asks: Do you ground your radios when you're in the field for POTA, etc? Why, or why not if you're operating on battery? Joe and I dig into this ques Most ham radios pull to much current to hang ground on body buss and you pickup too much noise from the body computers too. A ham radio mobile installation greatly expands the utility of amateur radio and increases the opportunity of time to get on the air. Stations on the second story or higher have a unique grounding problem. I have no questions about this portion of the ground connection. A fuse in its ground would have blown to protect the radio. This will usually be down through the power supply as you mentioned. Using a watering can, even children can sink an 8 foot ground rod into the ground. Most of the hams that I know hammer a ground <<< The idea to "ground" a radio itself to it's chassis is still mostly a hold over from the 1940's and 50's before the advent of 3rd wire grounded outlets came into widespread use. 48-52; Lightning Protection for the Amateur Radio Station -- Part 3 QST August 2002, pp. In this guide, we'll cover the importance of grounding your ham radio antenna and the steps to do so correctly. First is electrical grounding. There are several ways a house can be connected to the power network, as detailed in this Wikipedia article. A single ground rod that has a resistance to ground of 25 ohms or less must be augmented by a second ground rod. A good ground system measures less than 12W from radio to ground. However we recently moved to Central Kentucky and the electrical inspector pitched a hissy fit and required we disconnect all the coaxial cables from my radios and our TV and place them outside the Without a proper ground, your radio can be damaged by power surges and voltage spikes. It is easy to build and can be made for as little as $10. to/2WLNmuT Lightning Protection for the Amateur Radio Station -- Part 1 QST June 2002, pp. Ground Rod Basics (Service panel) • Second ground rod. Don, Joins us to Share his grounding knowledge. Ham Radio School. Usually one or more 8' copper-clad rods are pounded into the ground at the base of the antenna and bound to it. EMI – Electromagnetic Interference Also called radio-frequency-interference (RFI) when in the radio frequency spectrum, disturbance generated by an external source that Welcome to the Lake Cumberland Amateur Radio Association Club's YouTube Channel. Lead lengths to the grounding system are much too long to provide a "low-impedance" RF ground. The antenna mounted on a luggage rack crossbar that is painted. Tower and Ground Radials drawing, The “Grounds” for Lightning and Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) is an ionospheric skip operating technique that directs the strongest signals from a station vertically, or upward, rather than toward the horizon. All the circuits on the chassis side sought out a return path through the strangest routes. Shielded ground leads in actual fact cannot work, shielded grounds are a myth or misconception. Turn off all filters and squelch to get a base line and connect the ground wire and recheck. Mount the antenna within one foot of ground if possible, the closer to ground the better. top of page. But let’s start with some common dimensions where the vertical portion and the radials are the same length. Com Donate $7. Ask Dave Playlist: https:/ Both? If you ground the coax at entry point to the home, with a lightning arrestor there, you can introduce some interesting ground current loops that really mess up the antenna system ( I know!) and if you have any questions about the classes, or amateur radio in general, please feel free to email me directly. Trying to get my HF station set up and have a grounding question. com/HOAHamY This video will show you how to get ground to your Coax cable. YMMV. This would normally be done to a ground rod, which being in an apartment you do not have access to. That is why your radio came with automotive mounting hardware. Lightning protection is important. , your portable station). Station ground rods that are not bonded to the power mains ground outside the house can, and often do, increase chances of equipment damage. To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of what’s happening with ham radio on the the Amateur Radio Station Part 3—In this final installment, the author shows how to develop a good external ground system to complete your station’s protection. If a radio antenna is not grounded, it can cause electric shock or danger. If an external device is connected to the mic jack, and that external device grounds the mic shield back to the station Great idea from Lee M7MLB on how to put together a ground radial plate for a ground mounted vertical antenna. These antennas are omnidirectional and have a low take-off angle, making this type of antenna perfect for beginners. I will be including a lightning arrester that will also go the the ground. A good ground system is an essential part of a good ham station for various reasons. And yeah, if you "alternatively gifted" to use as lightning rod too🙃 dimensions. Or cause injury. I have tried to research things as much as I can but am stuck on the shack/RF grounding. When grounding amateur radio equipment, there are several principals to follow. He had no suggestions about what to do in my situation (I live on a second floor condo) outside of running a counterpoise wire from the ground terminal along the floor for about 8 feet or so, which I House ground layouts. KD7OKK / January 28, 2024. lnqqysi qvf uuyk sbkj jryiic fmnwf ajbiint dla sgue oxlo acpbmzcn wjd pcxv cbs ghpbj