Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about 30ft.
roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here (far Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20 feet away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA |
#2
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
On 10/27/08 8:30 AM, in article
, "Sudy Nim" wrote: Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about 30ft. roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here (far Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20 feet away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA Personally, I have never put up a lightning collector without grounding it in some manner. I think you should ground the tripod and mast, and put a lightning arrestor on the coax. |
#3
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
In article , Don Bowey wrote:
On 10/27/08 8:30 AM, in article , "Sudy Nim" wrote: Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about 30ft. roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here (far Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20 feet away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA Personally, I have never put up a lightning collector without grounding it in some manner. I think you should ground the tripod and mast, and put a lightning arrestor on the coax. Agreed, and electrical codes in your state probably requires it. Well then again with all the liberals running it!!! LOL just kidding. |
#4
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
"Sudy Nim" wrote in message
... Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about 30ft. roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here (far Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20 feet away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA Actually, the instructions likely do detail the grounding requirements. If not you will likely find them in the first pages of any television, or any other receiving equipment. The mast for the antenna and the coax shield must both be grounded to the ground electrode on your electrical service. Leonard |
#5
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:30:54 GMT, "Sudy Nim"
wrote: Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about 30ft. roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here (far Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20 feet away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA Code usually requires grounding. |
#6
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
"PeterD" wrote in message
news On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:30:54 GMT, "Sudy Nim" wrote: Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about 30ft. roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here (far Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20 feet away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA Code usually requires grounding. Thanks to all, appreciate your replies. I wired it to ground today. Sudy Nim |
#7
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
On Oct 28, 2:23*pm, "Sudy Nim" wrote:
"PeterD" wrote in message news On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:30:54 GMT, "Sudy Nim" wrote: Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about 30ft. roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here (far Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20 feet away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA Code usually requires grounding. Thanks to all, appreciate your replies. I wired it to ground today. Sudy Nim I hope you used a wire somewhat bigger than 26 gauge. Altho a direct lightning strike of 20,000 amps or more will vaporize anything you could reasonably use, the ground will help in the event of a nearby strike. How far west of Chicago are you. I'm 28 miles out and we get some humdingers here. |
#9
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
In article , "Michael A. Terrell" wrote:
"hr(bob) " wrote: On Oct 28, 2:23 pm, "Sudy Nim" wrote: "PeterD" wrote in message news On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:30:54 GMT, "Sudy Nim" wrote: Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about 30ft. roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here (far Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20 feet away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA Code usually requires grounding. Thanks to all, appreciate your replies. I wired it to ground today. Sudy Nim I hope you used a wire somewhat bigger than 26 gauge. Altho a direct lightning strike of 20,000 amps or more will vaporize anything you could reasonably use, the ground will help in the event of a nearby strike. How far west of Chicago are you. I'm 28 miles out and we get some humdingers here. Let me know when you have over 1400 strikes in an hour. You havent seen lightning till you have lived with a desert on one side and a mountain range on the other side like we have here in Northern Utah. Having a huge inland sea/lake primarily made out of salt from prehistoric Lake Bonneville a few miles from your front door doesnt help either. |
#10
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
GMAN wrote: Michael A. Terrell wrote: Let me know when you have over 1400 strikes in an hour. You havent seen lightning till you have lived with a desert on one side and a mountain range on the other side like we have here in Northern Utah. Having a huge inland sea/lake primarily made out of salt from prehistoric Lake Bonneville a few miles from your front door doesnt help either. Yawn. The Central Florida area is the highest lightning area in the country. Water everywhere, and almost as flat as your desert. I have been inside buildings with no windows that were lit up like daylight from the constant strikes. So close together that one hasn't completely faded away before another one hits. The thunder so bad that the entire building was shaking for over an hour, with no electricity, plus wind and rain so hard you didn't dare step outside. I have seen concrete buildings damaged, and lost a lot of electronics as well. One TV studio got a direct hit on the building, past the service entrance, and took out all kinds of equipment, including items that weren't connected to anything. -- http://improve-usenet.org/index.html aioe.org, Goggle Groups, and Web TV users must request to be white listed, or I will not see your messages. If you have broadband, your ISP may have a NNTP news server included in your account: http://www.usenettools.net/ISP.htm There are two kinds of people on this earth: The crazy, and the insane. The first sign of insanity is denying that you're crazy. |
#11
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
In article , "Michael A. Terrell" wrote:
GMAN wrote: Michael A. Terrell wrote: Let me know when you have over 1400 strikes in an hour. You havent seen lightning till you have lived with a desert on one side and a mountain range on the other side like we have here in Northern Utah. Having a huge inland sea/lake primarily made out of salt from prehistoric Lake Bonneville a few miles from your front door doesnt help either. Yawn. Yawn????? LOL!!!!!!!! You aint heard nothing till you hear thunder echo back and forth between two mountain ranges. http://icons-pe.wunderground.com/dat...TheSky/222.jpg http://peterhuston.files.wordpress.c.../wasatch-2.jpg http://www.servicepals.com/gallery/d..._lake_city.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/3...d7bb78.jpg?v=0 The Central Florida area is the highest lightning area in the country. Water everywhere, and almost as flat as your desert. I have been inside buildings with no windows that were lit up like daylight from the constant strikes. So close together that one hasn't completely faded away before another one hits. The thunder so bad that the entire building was shaking for over an hour, with no electricity, plus wind and rain so hard you didn't dare step outside. I have seen concrete buildings damaged, and lost a lot of electronics as well. One TV studio got a direct hit on the building, past the service entrance, and took out all kinds of equipment, including items that weren't connected to anything. |
#12
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
In article , "Michael A. Terrell" wrote:
GMAN wrote: Michael A. Terrell wrote: Let me know when you have over 1400 strikes in an hour. You havent seen lightning till you have lived with a desert on one side and a mountain range on the other side like we have here in Northern Utah. Having a huge inland sea/lake primarily made out of salt from prehistoric Lake Bonneville a few miles from your front door doesnt help either. Yawn. The Central Florida area is the highest lightning area in the country. Water everywhere, and almost as flat as your desert. I have been inside buildings with no windows that were lit up like daylight from the constant strikes. So close together that one hasn't completely faded away before another one hits. The thunder so bad that the entire building was shaking for over an hour, with no electricity, plus wind and rain so hard you didn't dare step outside. I have seen concrete buildings damaged, and lost a lot of electronics as well. One TV studio got a direct hit on the building, past the service entrance, and took out all kinds of equipment, including items that weren't connected to anything. Like the warming trend here in Pittsburgh, well this last summer was not as hot as the previous two, but all the leaves are usually on the ground, or at least thats the way it was 10 years ago. Its been unusually quiet as thunder storms go. I sort of miss them. We have hill after hill, after hill, etc. The worst and most trecherous sounding storm I have encountered, was up right off Lake Erie, on flat land. I was scarred. I was installing some guy poles off my new deck for a sun shade, out of steel piping. I also attached some wiring to a ground post. First time I ever put one of those long things in the ground. I still want to ground the steel roof of my shed attached to the garage. greg |
#13
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
GMAN wrote: In article , "Michael A. Terrell" wrote: GMAN wrote: Michael A. Terrell wrote: Let me know when you have over 1400 strikes in an hour. You havent seen lightning till you have lived with a desert on one side and a mountain range on the other side like we have here in Northern Utah. Having a huge inland sea/lake primarily made out of salt from prehistoric Lake Bonneville a few miles from your front door doesnt help either. Yawn. Yawn????? LOL!!!!!!!! You aint heard nothing till you hear thunder echo back and forth between two mountain ranges. http://icons-pe.wunderground.com/dat...TheSky/222.jpg http://peterhuston.files.wordpress.c.../wasatch-2.jpg http://www.servicepals.com/gallery/d..._lake_city.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/3...d7bb78.jpg?v=0 Ever hear of Delta Junction, or Ft. Greely Alaska? -- http://improve-usenet.org/index.html aioe.org, Goggle Groups, and Web TV users must request to be white listed, or I will not see your messages. If you have broadband, your ISP may have a NNTP news server included in your account: http://www.usenettools.net/ISP.htm There are two kinds of people on this earth: The crazy, and the insane. The first sign of insanity is denying that you're crazy. |
#14
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
Someone mention using a thick wire for grounding..I was wondering if
that really was needed..by grounding the antenna isn't that just changing the charge potential between the antenna and the ground. |
#15
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
My understanding is that the antenna ground wire is to provide an
"alternate" path for the very large, near instantaneous current (either from ground to the sky/lightnining or from the lightning to the ground, depending on the difference in the voltage potentials) that occurs when the lightning "strikes" the metal mast. Too small a conductor and it will be quickly vaporized leaving the current to find its way to ground via some other (more destructive) path. Even if the ground wire is of sufficient diameter to withstand the lightning strike, it also needs to be as low of a resistance on that path as possible since some portion of the current will nonetheless follow the path down the coax based on the impedances seen in those two "parallel" paths to ground. The goal here is simply to minimize any current down the coax so proper attention needs to be given to the construction and length of the ground conductor as well as the terminations on both ends too. Bob wrote in message ... Someone mention using a thick wire for grounding..I was wondering if that really was needed..by grounding the antenna isn't that just changing the charge potential between the antenna and the ground. |
#16
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
In article , "Bob Shuman" wrote:
My understanding is that the antenna ground wire is to provide an "alternate" path for the very large, near instantaneous current (either from ground to the sky/lightnining or from the lightning to the ground, depending on the difference in the voltage potentials) that occurs when the lightning "strikes" the metal mast. Too small a conductor and it will be quickly vaporized leaving the current to find its way to ground via some other (more destructive) path. Even if the ground wire is of sufficient diameter to withstand the lightning strike, it also needs to be as low of a resistance on that path as possible since some portion of the current will nonetheless follow the path down the coax based on the impedances seen in those two "parallel" paths to ground. The goal here is simply to minimize any current down the coax so proper attention needs to be given to the construction and length of the ground conductor as well as the terminations on both ends too. Bob wrote in message .. . Someone mention using a thick wire for grounding..I was wondering if that really was needed..by grounding the antenna isn't that just changing the charge potential between the antenna and the ground. I would agree with the path of least resistance, but as far as a single strike, vaporizing the conductor is not going to stop the lightning like a fuse.. The vapor or plasma probably has some conductivity anyway. greg |
#17
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
|
#18
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
|
#19
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
Neighbor,
I too am living west of Chicago, IL in western Dupage County. Bob "Sudy Nim" wrote in message news:rKoOk.10353 Looks, as if we could be neighbors, you must know of DuPage County? |
#20
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
On Oct 30, 6:35*pm, "Bob Shuman" wrote:
Neighbor, I too am living west of Chicago, IL in western Dupage County. * Bob "Sudy Nim" wrote in message news:rKoOk.10353 Looks, as if we could be neighbors, you must know of DuPage County?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Bob H is Bob Hofmann retired from Bell Labs EMC group in Naperville, IL. I put myself thru college in the 1950's installing towers and antennas and vacuum tube antenna boosters in Fort PIerce, Florida. After a good summer storm, we could count on getting calls from people whose tower amplifiers had been blown apart and whose 300 ohm twin lead if intact had no conductivity because the copper had ben vaporized into the poyethelene or what poastic was used for the downleads. Nearest tv station was Miami, 125 miles away, so amplifiers on towers was the only way to get signals. When West Palm Beach went on the air, only 57 miles away, people began to get serious about buying tv's since roofotp antennas becanme somewhat practical..... |
#21
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
We were likely working at the Naperville, IL (Indian Hill) facility at the
same time and probably passed each other in the cafeteria or in the hallways... BTW, I started there in 1979 and just a few months ago, moved back to the same old building. So now it is ~30 years later and I work an aisle away on the same floor and in the same building that I started in. But it is an entirely different company now as you well know. (Another) Bob "hr(bob) " wrote in message ... On Oct 30, 6:35 pm, "Bob Shuman" wrote: Neighbor, I too am living west of Chicago, IL in western Dupage County. Bob "Sudy Nim" wrote in message news:rKoOk.10353 Looks, as if we could be neighbors, you must know of DuPage County?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Bob H is Bob Hofmann retired from Bell Labs EMC group in Naperville, IL. I put myself thru college in the 1950's installing towers and antennas and vacuum tube antenna boosters in Fort PIerce, Florida. After a good summer storm, we could count on getting calls from people whose tower amplifiers had been blown apart and whose 300 ohm twin lead if intact had no conductivity because the copper had ben vaporized into the poyethelene or what poastic was used for the downleads. Nearest tv station was Miami, 125 miles away, so amplifiers on towers was the only way to get signals. When West Palm Beach went on the air, only 57 miles away, people began to get serious about buying tv's since roofotp antennas becanme somewhat practical..... |
#22
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
Hi guys. I too climbed a few towers in my youth! I was with the big mother
(Motorola) from mid 50's until retirement. Started in consumer products (TV) in Franklin Park. During my 35 years moved through various divisions, automotive, military, communication etc. Last days at headquarters campus in Schaumburg. Do not wish to get too personal here for all the world to see. Sudy Nim "Bob Shuman" wrote in message ... We were likely working at the Naperville, IL (Indian Hill) facility at the same time and probably passed each other in the cafeteria or in the hallways... BTW, I started there in 1979 and just a few months ago, moved back to the same old building. So now it is ~30 years later and I work an aisle away on the same floor and in the same building that I started in. But it is an entirely different company now as you well know. (Another) Bob "hr(bob) " wrote in message ... On Oct 30, 6:35 pm, "Bob Shuman" wrote: Neighbor, I too am living west of Chicago, IL in western Dupage County. Bob "Sudy Nim" wrote in message news:rKoOk.10353 Looks, as if we could be neighbors, you must know of DuPage County?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Bob H is Bob Hofmann retired from Bell Labs EMC group in Naperville, IL. I put myself thru college in the 1950's installing towers and antennas and vacuum tube antenna boosters in Fort PIerce, Florida. After a good summer storm, we could count on getting calls from people whose tower amplifiers had been blown apart and whose 300 ohm twin lead if intact had no conductivity because the copper had ben vaporized into the poyethelene or what poastic was used for the downleads. Nearest tv station was Miami, 125 miles away, so amplifiers on towers was the only way to get signals. When West Palm Beach went on the air, only 57 miles away, people began to get serious about buying tv's since roofotp antennas becanme somewhat practical..... |
#23
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
Franklin Park = Quasar! With the works in the drawer for easy
serviceability? Bob "Sudy Nim" wrote in message ... Hi guys. I too climbed a few towers in my youth! I was with the big mother (Motorola) from mid 50's until retirement. Started in consumer products (TV) in Franklin Park. During my 35 years moved through various divisions, automotive, military, communication etc. Last days at headquarters campus in Schaumburg. Do not wish to get too personal here for all the world to see. Sudy Nim |
#24
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Grounding roof antenna?
Yep, that was the birth of the all transistorized color TV and last of the
breed. Division sold to a Japan Company and they continued under the Quasar name for a short time in the Franklin Park plant before moving everything to Japan. I was one of the fortunate few that did not lose my job and continued employment in a different division. The main building is still there but empty for several years and was supposed to be converted to rental apartments, condos or something similar. Sudy Nim "Bob Shuman" wrote in message ... Franklin Park = Quasar! With the works in the drawer for easy serviceability? Bob "Sudy Nim" wrote in message ... Hi guys. I too climbed a few towers in my youth! I was with the big mother (Motorola) from mid 50's until retirement. Started in consumer products (TV) in Franklin Park. During my 35 years moved through various divisions, automotive, military, communication etc. Last days at headquarters campus in Schaumburg. Do not wish to get too personal here for all the world to see. Sudy Nim |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
TV antenna grounding question | Home Repair | |||
Grounding TV antenna tower | Home Repair | |||
"Antenna grounding | Electronics Repair | |||
Antenna Grounding | Home Repair |