Ham radio grounding question
 

I am so confused about how to properly ground a system. I will have a
two meter and a 440 on the roof of my house. I will run the coax down
to my sofit vents or whatever they are called and run the coax inside
the vents to my shack. Behind the wall where my rquipment will be is a
storage space that I can acess. (This is a finished attic). I will be
using a mobile radio that has two antenna outputs, one for 2 meter and
one for 440.

How do I ground the radio and does it need it? Should the coax itself
be grounded and how? Do I have to purchase one of those surge things
that screws into the coax?

Any advice is appreciated!

wrote in message
ups.com...
I am so confused about how to properly ground a system. I will have a
two meter and a 440 on the roof of my house. I will run the coax down
to my sofit vents or whatever they are called and run the coax inside
the vents to my shack. Behind the wall where my rquipment will be is a
storage space that I can acess. (This is a finished attic). I will be
using a mobile radio that has two antenna outputs, one for 2 meter and
one for 440.

How do I ground the radio and does it need it? Should the coax itself
be grounded and how? Do I have to purchase one of those surge things
that screws into the coax?

The major issue is to ground the metal mast that the antennas are mounted
on. This should be done with large gage wire and the wire should run as
straight to ground as possible and be located outside the structure of the
house. The ground itself is often several copper-plated steel rods driven
into the earth (they sell the stuff you need at electrical supply concerns).
How many ground rods depends on the conductivity of your soil.

Srtyped:
The ARRL Amateur Radio Handbook, the ARRL Antenna Book and the ARRL VHF
Manual have a plethora of articles and many pages devoted to this very
subject.. The books have been around for years so any edition from any
available year will suffice. Check them out at your local public library
and continue to be concerned about how to do the job correctly for fire and
safety reasons as well as proper efficient operation of your equipment and
antennas..
--
Best Regards,
Daniel Sofie
Electronics Supply & Repair
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


wrote in message
ups.com...
I am so confused about how to properly ground a system. I will have a
two meter and a 440 on the roof of my house. I will run the coax down
to my sofit vents or whatever they are called and run the coax inside
the vents to my shack. Behind the wall where my rquipment will be is a
storage space that I can acess. (This is a finished attic). I will be
using a mobile radio that has two antenna outputs, one for 2 meter and
one for 440.

How do I ground the radio and does it need it? Should the coax itself
be grounded and how? Do I have to purchase one of those surge things
that screws into the coax?

Any advice is appreciated!

sofie wrote:
Srtyped:
The ARRL Amateur Radio Handbook, the ARRL Antenna Book and the ARRL
VHF
Manual have a plethora of articles and many pages devoted to this
very
subject.. The books have been around for years so any edition from
any
available year will suffice. Check them out at your local public
library
and continue to be concerned about how to do the job correctly for
fire and
safety reasons as well as proper efficient operation of your
equipment and
antennas..
--
Best Regards,
Daniel Sofie
Electronics Supply & Repair
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


wrote in message
ups.com...
I am so confused about how to properly ground a system. I will have
a
two meter and a 440 on the roof of my house. I will run the coax
down
to my sofit vents or whatever they are called and run the coax
inside
the vents to my shack. Behind the wall where my rquipment will be
is a
storage space that I can acess. (This is a finished attic). I will
be
using a mobile radio that has two antenna outputs, one for 2 meter
and
one for 440.

How do I ground the radio and does it need it? Should the coax
itself
be grounded and how? Do I have to purchase one of those surge
things
that screws into the coax?

Any advice is appreciated!

What if the antenna is insulated form the mast? What about the coax?

stryped:
As the books I mentioned will advise you...... use an "in-line" coax
lightning arrester.... fairly inexpensive to buy or you can make one....
details in the books. If you have not read through any of these ARRL
publications I would advise you to do so.... lots of helpful and useful
information that will answer most of your questions now and in the future...
any active Ham should have these on his bookshelf.
--
Best Regards,
Daniel Sofie
Electronics Supply & Repair
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



wrote in message
What if the antenna is insulated form the mast? What about the coax?

I would strongly suggest you get the book that Sofie suggested. The ARRL
Antenna Hand Book will have all of this information. This would be a
detailed instruction set to put up in a newsgroup email.

There is available hardware, and techniques to accomplish what is required.
There are millions of antennas put up all over the world, and they are
properly grounded, and working safely.

One thing for sure, if the antenna is not properly grounded, it is
susceptible to be a safety hazard from a lightning strike, and electrostatic
pickup, thus discharging in to your set, and home.

--

Jerry G.
=====

wrote in message
oups.com...

sofie wrote:
Srtyped:
The ARRL Amateur Radio Handbook, the ARRL Antenna Book and the ARRL
VHF
Manual have a plethora of articles and many pages devoted to this
very
subject.. The books have been around for years so any edition from
any
available year will suffice. Check them out at your local public
library
and continue to be concerned about how to do the job correctly for
fire and
safety reasons as well as proper efficient operation of your
equipment and
antennas..
--
Best Regards,
Daniel Sofie
Electronics Supply & Repair
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


wrote in message
ups.com...
I am so confused about how to properly ground a system. I will have
a
two meter and a 440 on the roof of my house. I will run the coax
down
to my sofit vents or whatever they are called and run the coax
inside
the vents to my shack. Behind the wall where my rquipment will be
is a
storage space that I can acess. (This is a finished attic). I will
be
using a mobile radio that has two antenna outputs, one for 2 meter
and
one for 440.

How do I ground the radio and does it need it? Should the coax
itself
be grounded and how? Do I have to purchase one of those surge
things
that screws into the coax?

Any advice is appreciated!

What if the antenna is insulated form the mast? What about the coax?

Protection is defined by the figure in

http://www.erico.com/erico_public/pd...es/Tncr002.pdf

Antenna has its own earth ground. Antenna earth ground
connects to the building earth ground. Antenna wire must
enter at the service entrance and first make a connection
direct (and less than 10 feet) to the single point ground also
used by AC electric, telephone 'whole house' protector, and
cable.

Also notice even buried cables can carry a destructive
transient inside the building if not earthed at the service
entrance. Earthing is accomplished by direct wire connection
(ie ground block sold even in Radio Shack and Home Depot) for
coax cables AND through a surge protector for wires that
cannot be earthed directly (ie AC electric and phone).

wrote:
I am so confused about how to properly ground a system. I will have a
two meter and a 440 on the roof of my house. I will run the coax down
to my sofit vents or whatever they are called and run the coax inside
the vents to my shack. Behind the wall where my rquipment will be is a
storage space that I can acess. (This is a finished attic). I will be
using a mobile radio that has two antenna outputs, one for 2 meter and
one for 440.

How do I ground the radio and does it need it? Should the coax itself
be grounded and how? Do I have to purchase one of those surge things
that screws into the coax?

Any advice is appreciated!