Installing Grounding and Bonding System for Ham Radio

I will be installing the Ground and Bonding system for my new Ham Shack for Ham Radio. I will have a special guest that swings by the help me out with the power tools. I planned this out so much that I didn't experience too many issues, unlike the last part. Driving in those ground rods in the Texas soil. Let me know if i missed something.



Frank L.

 

You didn't pay attention in shop class about power tool safety, did ya Frank?

Or maybe that was your bro? Cutting and drilling those sprinkler boxes was a little 'sketchy'!

 

LOL, the cutting was all my brother. He was safe, clamps and everything. I was the one drilling, i don't have any of the clamps and safey stuff. I just want to be in and out and continue on. I might pick up some clamps on the next project and i work with power tools. I like having all my fingers and toes.

 

Ha! They do come in handy!

I had a thumb tip (about 3/4") sewn back on after a disagreement with a bandsaw, so I'm just a tad of a safety cop when I see sketchy stuff going on!

 

I did 8 x 8' rods here in my Texas garden, some were easy and others no so. The best tool I found was a large jackhammer drill and then it went fairly easily.

 

Made me think of the shop teacher on UHF.

 

Aargh, lead the lightning around the house? The best video how its no to be done. What I saw is strange and a kind of childish thoughts. Wish all the best for this installation, when the next lightning strike comes in. I dont want to offend.

To lead the lightning direct and without a long way around into the Earth is the solution.

The energy of a lightning got up to 100.000 A or 100.000.000 Volt. The plastic buckets will go phut and the wooden terrace will maybe burn.

Search the shortes way not the longest, to lead the lightning into the nearest and safe point to be get absorbed by the ground. That should be the safe final for this act.

 

If you look at any professional installation of a high power radio station you'll find copper flashing around the base of the building tied to the station ground.
EVERY piece of metal on site is grounded. Including the chain link fence surrounding the station.
What he did here is a partial solution that still works. Ideally you run the big gauge wire all around the house.

 

That is not true.

In fact, it EXCEEDS the US National Electric Code.

He has more ground rods than REQUIRED.

 

Was scratching my head why the ground rods needed to be inside of/protected by the plastic "sprinkler head" covers. Then when he made the comment about: "...if you ever want to inspect the system...pop off the lid and there it is"...yeah, I could see that as being somewhat useful...maybe? Ground wire line is so close to the house, I doubt you'll ever have to worry about someone breaking the wire with a shovel or some other gardening activity like that, so not sure what could possibly happen. The connection at the house ground...sure. But the rest of the line is buried so no harm can come to it.

Not a big fan of the 90 degree bend the line takes going around the corner of the house, but hey...you gotta do what fits in your particular space. Otherwise, looks good.

 

Me neither, and I believe it was mentioned in a previous thread that Frank had about this to make large radius sweeping turns around the corner.

The Devil is in the details!

 

It looks like to me you don't know what you are doing. The thing you call a locking nut is a ACORN nut. you didn't tape up where you connected the acorn nut to the ground rod they will corrode over time.
I think you should pickup a copy of GROUNDING and BONDING for the radio amateur from the ARRL. It is very well written. You grounding system is the funnies one I every saw.

 

Show us yours Bob! Maybe we can berate you too!

What is so funny about it? He's got a ground rod with a wire going up to the future antenna mast, he's got that wire run around and connected to the service entrance ground rod. He had an electrician out to install a pair of new ground rods at the service entrance.

It's probably more and better than 90% of hams have today.

 

They don't necessarily need to be, but it reduces the affect of corrosion from rain and lawn/ground chemistry that burying such a connection would invite.

Smoothing out that corner bend could be accomplished by running the wire through something like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Carlon-...d-36-in-Bend-Radius-Elbow-UA9FJ-UPC/100161075

 

Thank you, this is a very controversial subject and i know it will spark a lively debate. I created the best system i could within my budget.