rpseguin wrote:

Ok.
Thanks for everybody's help in the earlier thread.
The 20HP rotary phase converter is working, but I now need to place it
in the garage, about 70+ feet wiring run distance from the main
breaker panel.

Given the cost of copper wire these days, my inclination is to run
just the two hots to the panel and to put a grounding rod close up to
the garage and run a local ground to it.
I see no reason to run a neutral line from the panel (the machines are
all 3 phase).

I know that I could run a ground line to the panel AND run a local
grounding rod, but is it a bad idea to just do a local ground?

What gage wire for a 20HP RPC, but the main/biggest load/machine will
be a 10HP spindle and a couple of 2HP machines, never all at the same
time? ($ signs get much bigger with the wire gage/diameter :-)

Anybody near San Jose, CA have a spool of #4 or larger gage for
cheap? :-)

Thanks in advance!

Put the converter right near the entrance panel so the highest
current only has to run the short distance. Then run smaller
wire to the remote 3 phase loads. Requires an additional lead
but the lower current req. should work out a lot cheaper.
Now as to "remotely developed grounds" This was legal when
we did a bunch of "cabins in the woods" supplied from a main
lodge back quite a few years ago (I havent checked the code
since). We ran the power with two direct burrial wires and
installed a standard grounding rod at each cabin. This was all
code compliant (at that time).
...lew...