1. It was purchased as an 11 Meter CB Antenna however, I've also found it useful on the 10 Meter Ham Band. Grounding systems and techniques category is a curation of 38 web resources on , Safe,effective grounding, Notes on Ground Systems, Grounding and Reducing Noise. Another way to think about it is the place where you can go to get away from the hustle and bustle of every day life and immerse yourself in your ham radio hobby. The speakers in portable shortwave radios are often quite small, but sound quality can sometimes be improved by using a small ear phone, headphones or … Discussion in 'Ham Radio Discussions' started by KA6IBM, Nov 23, 2016. is not referenced to station ground. The radio station’s r.f. I'm in a 5th floor condo, and I'm having some issues with grounding my radio and my antenna. Here's a way to use Amatuer/Ham Radio while you work on shedding a few pounds in useful exercise. I read with great interest Roy Lewallen's discussion of the conductivity of frozen soil and its effect on the performance of ground dependent antennas. A HAM shack ground loop gives lightening another path to your equipment. Antenna, input and ground bonding. On 20 meters, a 16-foot ground wire isn’t a ground, it’s a quarter-wave antenna! 1. Using a watering can, even children can sink an 8 foot ground rod into the ground. Build your ham radio station with effective grounding and bonding techniques for electrical safety, lightning protection, and RF management. being generated. Most radio companies issue a statement to ground the radio separately for electrical safety in case the antenna comes in contact with high voltage power lines or some other situation that would put the user in danger of electrocution. Been a apt dweller most of my adult life. Run your coax/hard-lines to the base of your tower or antenna mast and THEN make the run into the house. Grounding plan for new ham shack - good/bad idea? Tower Grounding System. This is where the ham radio specific topics are. Presented is a method learned from other hams on how to install a ground rod with minimal or no hammering. I like the Workman B100 Antenna a lot. You first need to see if your noise is from your own house. I have a Commercial Radio License, Extra Amateur License and 30+ years working with 2-way Radio, Paging, Trunking, HF and Microwave Radio Systems and Mobiles at a Fortune 50 Company. Ground Rods... so easy a pre-teen can do it. base stations anymore). Lastly, practical grounding methods are presented that are based on the foregoing considerations. The type of clamp connector will depend on the size of your ground wire. Always use a single point ground between the interior and exterior of your HAM shack! Wiring questions: grounding, attic antennas, BNC connectors. Where to get a copy of NFPA-70. Various grounds are clamped to it. In this short, well-made video, "taverned" shows us how he used a mag mount antenna, a simple C clamp, and a basic ground system to convert his mountain bike into a mobile station. being generated. 5. IF you’d like your question answered on the show, please drop me an email at kb9vbr@jpole-antenna.com or leave a comment below this post. Anyways, in Mar. Assuming you placed your antenna outdoors, you may be lucky enough to find … The minimum size wire you should use to connect the antenna to the house service ground is 10 AWG (American Wire Gauge ), which is 1/10th of an inch in diameter. The FT-450D only requires 12 volts from a power supply or battery to operate, no separate ground is required for the radio to work. For example a microphone input normally has a ground inside the radio. 4. Use a solid copper wire and use the ground clamp to connect it to the house service ground. About Antennas and Grounds for apartments The resource is currently listed in dxzone.com in 3 categories. 810-21 Grounding Conductors – Receiving Stations (referenced by 810-58) Carefully note (h). In the present case, that is to say a station to be operated in an apartment building, it is required to have an antenna that is “invisible”. Your radio gear in general terms is considered a piece of equipment. In the context of a practical approach, risk management for Amateur Radio Station lightning protection is explored. Station ground “knows nothing” about the r.f. Lightning not 3. is not referenced to station ground. No Ions in the Cold, Cold Ground. Providing good grounding — for both AC and DC power as well as for the radio signals — is very important for a trouble-free ham radio shack. —810.7 –bonding and grounding. Setting up a “shack” is an essential part of the ham radio experience. —810.11-810.18 –receiving antennas. I try to answer all questions, and the ones with a wide […] This link is listed in our web site directory since Wednesday Apr 27 2005, and till today "Antennas and Grounds for apartments" has been followed for a total of 22450 times. If your shortwave radio is battery powered, you should ensure that the batteries are fully charged or use your radio on AC power. With dipoles, one half of the antenna is your ground. 2. antenna ground plane (on/under antenna) The antenna system requires a "ground plane" for the radio wave to form. First and foremost, grounding is for the safety of your family, home, and ham equipment. Resources listed under Grounding category belongs to Technical Reference main collection, and get reviewed and rated by amateur radio … Mike: I have used the following procedure to ground HAM radio towers for many years and have never encountered any problems with lightning. A good ground system is an essential part of a good ham station for various reasons. You’ll learn effective grounding and bonding techniques for stations in a house, condo, or apartment, for portable and temporary situations, and for towers and outdoor antennas. Refer to FCC Part 97 and NEC 99 Code on Antenna Grounding. If an external device is connected to the mic jack, and that external device grounds the mic shield back to the station ground or power mains safety ground, it will introduce hum into the audio. Eliminate ground loops and multi-point ground connections when possible. Thank you for all those questions, please keep them coming. Typically, a ground rod driven into soil Min 8 foot recommended depth copper or galvanized steel rod Min 8 AWG wire run to single point star / shack ground and equipment Can prevent equipment damage from nearby lightning strike Lightning protection itself is a complex subject Provides a redundant safety ground for utility / AC feed This provided a chance to show how to properly ground a tower. Why not equip your bicycle for 2 meter/70 cm mobile operation? Although proper power grounding is fairly straightforward for AC and DC power, grounding for the radio signals in a ham station is a different problem altogether. This grounding system addresses both the electrical ground and RF grounding requirements in Ham radio. Sources of Noise on “Ground” • Capacitance from AC “hot” to ground –Leakage capacitance in transformers –AC line filters • Magnetic induction –Leakage fields from power transformers –Wiring errors in buildings and homes •Double bonded neutrals –Leakage fields from motors and controllers –Variable speed drives 2 The effect of freezing on the electrical properties of soil is actually quite straightforward. The required materials include ground rods, heavy stranded grounding cables, ground clamps, and/or a thermal welding system to connect the cables. Grounding for lightning safety - upper floor (UHF/microwave antennas) 250K Grounding Conductor Connections – Comprehensive section on equipment grounding identification of ground terminals etc. Chapter 9 tables –additional data and information on a variety of topics. Ideally that ground should be at the connector entrance, but often it is located up on some board near an audio preamplifier. Mike Van Voorhis, N8VIQ . Safety ground implementation, meeting regulatory codes and … '03, I wrote a half page article called, "Apartment Ham Station" featuring my friend, Carl. All it takes is water and time. Connect the ground of the Rotator Case shield also to the Ground Buss Bar. Amateur Radio Station Grounding RCC Mar 2007 - Lane Giard, N7ZXP This article comes from Don Young, N7DY, which was in The Wenatchee Radio Club News letter. 4. Carl's ham station contained two HF rigs, along with a mobile dual-band set-up as a base (Common among hams today since no one manufactures those old, classic 2 meter/70cm. Grounding the case (usually with a ground screw conveniently provided thereupon) will reduce the risk of operator injury and equipment damage. Response No. If you look at the lower right corner, you can see the wide ground straps that are being installed to form a closed screen or grid below the radio room's floor. Knowing how to ground an antenna properly can make significant improvements to its performance, whereas a poor ground or earth connection can mean that its performance is greatly impaired. You have to deal with both situations. The device is intended for long grounding wires. The entire ceiling, which is the floor of the radio room, has braiding that forms a large counterpoise. Run the radio on a 12v battery and turn off the main breaker. All the wires in your house are noise antennas! The grounding device utilizes a coaxial line where the ground wire is enclosed by a shield, such as RG-8 transmission line, to prevent the buildup of high voltage standing wave near the station equipment. At the very left end, you can just see where it’s clamped to a length of #2 wire that goes out to the ground rod, only a few feet away. I am installing a ham radio and want to properly ground it. Station ground “knows nothing” about the r.f. (ie - I can't run a wire down the side of the building to the ground, and the HOA just busted me for running a 17 foot counterpoise for my antenna). As an ultra beginner without a lot of investment in the hobby, it was perfectly acceptable to have to climb onto the roof t… The orange and yellow wires are the power line feeds to the radio room . For most amateurs, their shack is a combination workshop and operating position. Urban Rooftop Ham Radio Antenna: I recently put a ham radio antenna on my roof, so I could get better signal inside my apartment, which isn't on a high floor. Post # 651. Simple Ham Radio Antennas- … Grounding an antenna properly makes the antenna safe to use and also enables the best to be made of the performance of the antenna. We recently put up a new tower at our station to support a 2m EME station that we are building. Simple Ham Radio Antennas--40 Meter Phased Vertica... Essex Ham 2015 Review. Single point ground for my ham radio station. In the present case, that is to say a station to be operated in an apartment building, it is required to have an antenna that is “invisible”. A good ground connection is every bit as important as a good antenna in do-it-yourself radio electronics. Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 Next > KA6IBM Ham Member QRZ Page. This Ask Dave episode focuses on grounding your amateur radio station, a topic of interest to many hams! Grounding Resources: Ham's Guide to RFI, Ferrites, Baluns, and Audio Interfacing, by K9CY; Grounding Is Key To Good Reception, IW5EDI; Antennas & Grounding for Apartments, QST; Grounding Systems for Amateur Radio Stations; Grounding Systems, from W8JI; Antenna Resources: Ham's Guide to RFI, Ferrites, Baluns, and Audio Interfacing, by K9CY Home Forums > Discussion Forums > Ham Radio Discussions > What can I use for a ground in an apartment? The radio station’s r.f. Ham Radio Q & A is back with another episode. The best way to create a good ground connection is to use a metal cold water pipe. Post #647. Section 810 –radio & television. —810.51-810.70 –amateur radio. Grounding things in your attic will not reduce RFI noise. The main category is Hidden and stealth antennas that is about Hidden antennas, antennas for low space. Amateur Radio Tower Grounding. It consists of a short length of copper pipe. 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