> tower. This means burying thick wire or copper tape going
radially outward
> from a single point with ground rods exothermically welded
to the radials at
> intervals of twice the length of the rods.
Sounds good. I'd just mechanically attach and silver solder
the leads if you can with real silver solder. But if you
want to spend the bucks, go for it.
The feedlines to all antennas
> and the control and power lines to all matching systems
will be grounded at
> this point before they start their run to the house. My
theory is that
> this is to dump as many electrons into the ground in the
woods before they
> want to travel hundreds of feet through the inductance of
the lines to the
> house. Feedlines and control lines will go underground
from that grounded
> point in the woods to the entry bulkhead at the house.
Makes sense to me. That's almost exactly what I do, except I
have a barrier ground that is 3" flashing where cables cross
from the fields into the yard area. My barrier ground has
multiple pipes, I punched holes in the flashing and pounded
3/4" copper pipes into the ground through each hole about
every six feet. I silver soldered the pipes to the copper
flashing. It's all still intact today, after 4-5 years.
I have tower grounds, long cable runs, barrier grounds (each
about 30 feet long) at the three sides of the yard where
cables enter the lawn area from the pastures, an entrance
ground tied to a tubing that circles the house (halo), and
common points for everything inside the house that connects
to multiple wires (like my TV antenna tower leads, dish
feed, telco, and power).
Actually my TV system is a head-end type system with
everything on one cable, so it is like having CATV.
House Ground:
> - All utilities and my ham lines will enter the house
through two bulkheads
> (the existing power utility one and one the new one for
the rest) that are
> next to each other and bonded through copper strap. The
lines will be
> protected by PolyPhasor or ICE suppressor feedthroughs.
Currently all the
> utilities come underground from the opposite direction of
my feedline run
> but they will all run in straight lines to one end of the
house where the
> bulkheads will be. The bulkheads will be bonded by copper
strap to a halo
> ground consisting of thick wire or copper strap running
around the house
> underground at a distance of about ten feet out. The halo
ground will have
> buried ground rods exothermically welded to it at
intervals of twice their
> length.
Same thing I do, except I don't exothermically weld
anything. I silver solder, and I only have a few ground
pipes near each big item that is grounded.
> the driveway end of the house at the open end. Is this ok
or will an open
> halo be far less effective than a closed one?
I think I would try to close it, or if not put a few ground
rods at each end.
> - What is the cost and effectiveness tradeoff between
copper tape ground
> radials and just using thick (#4?) wire?
The biggest problem I have is digging through the grounds.
Use something tough.
> - The natural gas line enters the house at the meter
nearby the electrical
> bulkhead. What do I do with that? I don't think I have
ever read anything
> about the gas line and lightning protection.
I would tie it in, if the lines in the house are metal. My
propane tank is grounded to the halo ground I have and the
copper tubing coming into my house is grounded to the
utility ground.
You should find the code and follow what it says to do.
Codes always should be followed, even though I do what I
think is best for me.
73 Tom
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