Ham radio ground wire gauge Toggle navigation. 14. The wires also act as guy wires. Length, Kit. Guy wires and anchors are essential for stabilizing the tower and preventing it from swaying or falling. Will be adding a 5' to 7' mast on top and finally antenna. OK. I have over 1000 contacts on it in under the last year and a half. 7). I have tested this setup and the SWR is as low as my meter could reliably detect. If you are wondering what Amateur Radio is about, it's basically a two way radio service where licensed operators throughout the world experiment and communicate with each other on frequencies reserved for license holders. Connect the ground wire to the equipment and antenna. Reply to a comment by : The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a So I want to put up a new antenna on my property (we recently got 5 acres) and I was thinking that 16 gauge would be enough but I can only find 14 gauge thhn wire at home depot. to a short heavy gauge solid copper wire to reach the ground rod (See Fig. Designed for ham radio portable antennas, ground radials, Sdr, Shortwave, FM radio, AM radio, etc. 0% 3 Votes: 0 I run LMR400 with a double 5/8 wave ground plane diamond antenna on a 25' fiberglass pole. Some folks will use tinned copper woven strap to connect the station ground to the ground system but the rod bonds are typically solid. It may be referred to as “AWG #12” or “12 AWG”, but very Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. the positive (“+”) and negative (“-”) terminals on both your ham radio and power supply. Here are some of my grounding questions: 1) Will If you don't like your rig's ground connector, replace it with a sturdy binding post, and use a ground wire of larger gauge than any other connection. 0% 2 Votes: 0 0. Electrical Safety 2. Bury most of the wire a few by changing a cold water pipe ground using 12 gauge wires to a proper RF grounding system. Bare or insulated copper radials are the best choice, with insulated wire being more durable. I currently have installed a 10 gauge bare copper wire buried 1 foot deep in the clay soil for 20 feet outside the house as my shack ground. 2024 Events; Technical Articles (an adjective), such as a ground wire or a ground plane. AWG. Note that the housings themselves do NOT vary. I intend to see if there was a difference in performance between the 2. either the existing ground rod, or a heavy gauge copper wire coming The "3 points to connect the groundplane wires" setup sounds an awful lot like a SuperAntennas MP-1. American Wire Gauge (AWG) Table. In rocky or dry soils, more rods may be necessary. Commercially assembled wire antennas do have the advantage that they are generally made with quality, durable parts and; designed and pre-tuned for best performance (although Find Wire Antennas 1,500 W Antenna Power Rating and get Free Shipping on Most Orders Over $99 at DX Engineering! FREE SHIPPING on Orders Over $99! *exclusions apply Wire Antenna, Multi-Band, Non-Resonant, Assembled, 1,500 W, 14 gauge, SO-239, 102 ft. For example NEC Article 810 specifies a minimum of 14 AWG for wire receive antennas. I have a 30' tower I will be installing shortly for my ham radio. 168 Accessories are another factor that affects the cost of ham radio towers. My land Wire Gauge VS Battery – Ham Radio Thread starter Good4you; Start date Sep 3, 2013; Tags Battery Gauge Radio Wire Option 1 Votes: 0 0. If I install a piece of sheetmetal around the antenna on the roof would that help the ground plane at all? A flat piece maybe 3' x 3'?? I could screw it down but I think I would have to run a ground wire to a piece of metal near the awnings. 34 ohms. Areas shaded green are most common sizes used in Amateur Radio wire antennas. Be sure to use toothed lockwashers (either Wire Gauge: The wire connecting your equipment to the ground rods should be thick enough to handle potential surges. This lowers resistance and inductance between the rods. umiami21 Newbie. However, the wire is clamped in using set screws, all but negating the use of high-strand wire, like welding cable, unless you use a crimped-on sleeve Here is an answer for the European hams among us. I ordered . I've also know hams to ignore the local regulations. 54 out of 5 stars. If you don't like your rig's ground connector, replace it with a sturdy binding post, and use a ground wire of larger gauge than any other connection. 51mm. Use at least 10 AWG (American Wire Gauge) sized cables to connect the antenna to House Number of Grounding Rods: The more rods you use, the lower the overall resistance. Good stuff. Corrosion rates could be anywhere from 0. Copper is the most common material for dipole antennas because it is highly conductive and durable. i'm only running bare foot (100 watts or less), and I have no plans I have a question about running grounding wire for two antennas, my radio room is on the second floor right at the edge of the roof. What is sufficient wire gauge? Thanks!! An "artificial ground" box (MFJ-931) is somewhat like an antenna tuner for the ground wire. 53 (B) requires a minimum of 6-ft between electrodes. It also zapped the TV. At DAVIS RF FW 12 AWG a high-quality, flexible copper wire often used in radio frequency (RF) and similar applications. 05 mm (0. Smaller wires have larger gauge numbers, and often only the even numbered sizes are used. I am unsure if I should a) connect the pass through and my radios to the same ground rod as the antennas b) set a second ground rod or c) just connect to the house ground. NOTE: the N. You can use the same housing for either a 15, 30 or 45 Amp contact. The lightning followed one of the TV guy wires which looped over a rain gutter on the second floor, followed the downspout and where the downspout ended a foot above ground level, blew out the side of the house. And, of course, that wire gauge needs to be large enough for the current that you will be delivering. However, in NEC 250. Nashua Area Radio Society before they enter your house. When conductors approach 1⁄4 wavelength they become efficient antennas, thus To connect your ground rods to your ham radio equipment, use solid or stranded copper wire with a gauge of 6 or lower (the lower the number, the thicker the wire). Wire myths. : 50 FT. C. It's cheap and one can use simple tools, like a drill for sheet metal screws to attach the ground wires For a given length of wire, choose more short radials over fewer long ones. . Put another Polyphaser in your shack by your radio. Prices below suggested retail, ARS ships flat rate on most items. There happens to be a lot of fuss out there about antenna wire. Either the #18 or #22 should be fine. The DAVIS RF 14 AWG cable is a specialized wire that comprises 168 strands of #36 AWG copper wire, which contributes to its flexibility and conductivity. Use a copper wire or grounding strap to make this connection. 18 AWG, Black PE -Polyethylene Coat highly UV & abrasion resistant. 081 inches). If you are wondering what Amateur Radio is about, it's basically a two way radio service where licensed operators throughout the world experiment and communicate with each other This will usually be a minimum AWG 14 gauge wire pair (often larger 12 or 10 gauge), with in-line fuses. If you are wondering what Amateur Radio is about, it's basically a two way radio service where licensed operators throughout the world experiment and communicate with each other In this video I built Two 20 meter vertical antennas to try out while camping. Ground can also be an action (a verb), such as when a capacitor is discharged by a grounded safety Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. 18 gauge wire has a radius of 0. This is: The model MS135 SuperWire by Super Antenna. Estimated Ship Date: Today. 73. The antenna wire is connected to one side of the normally closed contacts, and a heavy gauge Founded in 2012, Amateur Radio Supplies has shipped over 300,000 items to Ham Radio Operators around the world. Power Wire, 2 Conductor Zip Cord, Stranded Copper, 14 AWG Conductors, 300 V Red/Black Insulation, Power Cable, Per Foot Part Number: DXE-PW-14 4. Part Number: MFJ-1778. length of span Ham Radio RFI – How To Track Down and Find RFI and Noise Affecting Your Ham Station; Ham Radio Satellite Antenna Dilemma – In Search Of A Solution; Ham Radio Shack For Sale – Two Yaesu FT-991 / Yaesu ATAS-120a / Heil Pro 7 Headset / LDG Z11 Pro Tuner / Yaesu FH2 – Hamvention Sale! Ham Radio Station – Kilo Three Triple R – The K3RRR Then connect my coax to a lightning arrestor that is also connected to the ground wire at the antenna. Stray RF Suppression (or simply RF Grounding) 3. The cost of these accessories varies It’s great for grounding radio chassis to radio chassis (DXE-TCB05-RT01) or from your equipment to a single-point ground. The products are manufactured using tinned copper clad, bare copper clad or hard drawn bare copper. The connection These are Bare Stranded Wires for wire antenna constructions requiring some flexibility and high strength. However anything worth doing is worth over doing. All one needs is the ground rod, the It burnt out the speaker windings in my HQ110, it melted all the phone wires in the 4-conductor internal wiring. Here's a breakdown of its characteristics: Gauge: 12 AWG (American Wire Gauge), indicating a wire diameter of approximately 2. Grounding wire: Solid That is at least one size smaller than what the radio was attached to from a former owner using it. Wire Gauge: The wire connecting your equipment to the ground rods should be thick enough to handle potential surges Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. With certain combinations of inductance and capacitance in a box, one can neutralize the reactance in the ground wire so Use insulated wire, as it protects the conductor from corrosion. Looks like your radio has an external antenna jack for SW use, make sure you are using a stereo mini plug with the antenna connected to the tip and ground (if used) connected to the sleeve. Reply reply Mr_Ironmule • Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. DocumentationLoading Estimated Ship Date The methods presented here are the methods used by professionals adapted to ham radio usage. Printable copies are available from my web site. Also at the ground plate under the base of the vertical element I apply RV to the wires after they are fastened to the ground plate. This article will let you know the process. From Coax and Connectors to Radios and Antennas - and everything in between. All ground leads should be headed in a down direction with a minimum of 8" radius on the bends. For temporary antennas such a POTA activation using a smaller gauge would be acceptable. Length: 135 feet (41 meters long) , Bulk roll hank of wire without eHam. 83 out of 5 stars ( 6 ) The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U. I seal the ends with RTV to prevent water ingress that can damage the wire. I am still adding m Increase the gauge of the wire or use copper straps between the added ground rods. This ground buss should have a separate copper conductor to a separate ground rod right outside the ham shack. Why 16awg wire a ham friend fave me Practical Ham Radio Antennas. ; Composition:. One ante Grounding Clamp Kits: These clamps are used to connect wire grounding conductors of 2 through 10 AWG to a ground rod, tower leg, or grounded pipe. Strongest wire of the group, Break Strength 370 lbs. Select the right wire The 2022-2026 Technician License question pool inquires about the best conductors to use for radio frequency grounding, or bonding:T4A08: Which of the following conductors is preferred for bonding at RF?A. A minimum of 6 AWG copper wire is recommended for high-power Antenna Wire, High Visibility, 26 AWG Stranded Copper Coated Steel, Green PVC Insulation, 250 ft. 15 mm/year, depending on soil conditions. I will have a 20' mast with a long wire antenna running 130+ The National Electrical Code first requires you to bond any additional ground rods to you house main electrical entry point ground with no Use heavy-gauge copper wire or copper straps to bond antennas, coaxial cables, and equipment to a common ground point known as a Single Point Ground Panel (SPGP). Solid wire will last longer than stranded, due to decreased exposed surface area. In general, more than 3 radials are desirable for a ground mounted counterpoise. Here's a breakdown of its properties: Key Features: Conductor Composition:. Ground level to top antenna is approximately 50'. The American Wire Gauge (AWG), also known as Brown and Sharpe (B&S), is the standard US measurement for copper wire sizes. It helps to reduce the electromagnetic interference caused by power lines and devices. (American Wire Gauge) bare copper wire is buried and runs under ground in a one foot deep trench to Find Wire Antennas 20 meters Wire Antenna Band and get Free Shipping on Most Orders Over $99 at DX Engineering! FREE SHIPPING on Orders Over $99! *exclusions apply Assembled, 1,500 W, 14 gauge, SO-239, 102 ft. A 9:1 balun would help to match antenna impedance to the radio The CB ground plane on my 43' fiberglass motorhome stinks. With a #2 copper, wire welded to the ground rods, tower, and conduit. Most amateur radio shops sell "special" antenna wire at unreasonably high price, whilst most of the claims made about these wires are untrue. It is also why they use exothermic welds on all their It will hold wire sizes up to #4 gauge wire which is adequate for most installations. The bare-wire spools were cheaper than the insulated wire spools. This includes two welded #2 copper ground tails off the tower. Made up of 259 strands of #36 AWG copper wire. 56 they note that spacing’s greater than 6-ft will improve the efficiency of the Unless it's just a long wire. As far as spacing of the grounding electrodes goes, NEC 250. I will be including a lightning arrester that will also go the the ground. First check your local regulations. Copper braid removed Included are some answers to commonly asked questions about this popular ham antenna. Quick question - Grounding an ICOM 7300, about 15' to a buried rod. Wire Selection. Provided you have all the tools you need and are conversant with electrical work, the antenna installation and grounding process can last for about 2 hours on average. 2. 10 Gauge wire at minimum, larger if the runs are more than about 30 feet or so. The actual wire leading from the back fo the radio is very close to 14 GA. This improves the lightning I use 12 gauge wire, primarily because I buy it in large rolls and always have some on hand, and secondarily because I follow the old school practice of running positive and negative wires from battery to radio thus I have a relatively long wire run. correct contact to match the size (diameter or wire gauge) of the wire you will be using. Using thick wire doesn’t change ground loss enough to justify the higher cost. The ring is bonded to the antenna with two 8 gauge wires. Weighs 6. Talk to a friend or family member who may be willing to help you See more I am installing a ham radio and want to properly ground it. Materials You’ll Need. If that's the case, take 4 <18 gauge wires between 12 and 33 feet long, twist them together and crimp them onto a spade lug or butt connector. Step-by-Step Guide to Wiring Your Ham Radio Properly. Some quick googling says that people recommend 12 or 14 gauge wire Hi Guys, Last I looked in our local Home Depot they had 100ft and 500ft spools of bare copper wire in various heavier gauges (14, 12, 10). All topics relating to the hobby are welcome here, from purchasing and 25 FT. Most base stations require ground plane of some sort and requires ground. Keep bonding connections short and direct using heavy wire (#12 or #14 AWG solid or stranded wire is fine), solid 20-gauge metal strap, or flat tinned woven braid (see photos). 4. 13 AWG, Black PE - Polyethylene Coat highly UV & abrasion resistant. Made from cast bronze, a highly conductive copper alloy, the Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. Diameter (in) (mm) 000000(6/0) 0. For typical amateur use 18 gauge is more than sufficient. If you are brewing your own power leads be sure to use heavy gauge wire with fuses Wire gauge really shouldn't matter all that much. Corrosion depends on many factors. Otherwise your coax connects your ground rod to the AC mains ground via your coax and station equipment. Have a question for the tower people out there in the forum. 2 lbs per 1000 FT. Do this three times and you'll have a nice portable groundplane for 20 and 40. Community . A second bit of coax would run to a window pass through like OP posted. Even so, 12 gauge isn't mission critical for the ham, CB or GMRS radios typically used in Poly-STEALTH™ 22 AWG antenna wire is a high-strength, high-conductivity aerial wire designed for durability and performance in various antenna applications. Your regular ham contacts will usually notice the improvement to your signal. E. What is better to use for antenna wire: aluminum ground wire, old coax, or stranded #12 or #10 copper? I have used all successfully, but I wonder about radiation resistance of each at 70' above sandy loam in Alabama. Lightning Protection. As much as possible (more = better) Here's why: RF from a transmitting antenna can couple with the other antennas and put a lot of unwanted RF into the front end of the other radios. Your two most significant challenges are; using 12 Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. Commercially Built Ham Radio Wire Antenna. Since you are using 3 wires, each wire should be 1 ohm or less (0. The ARRL book "Grounding and Bonding for the Radio Amateur" is a Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. Articles; Forums; News; Reviews The third (green, ground) wire should be connected to the ground buss in the building's electrical service panel, which should be grounded directly to earth via an 8' ground rod driven into earth at the nearest The ham radio antenna grounding process plays a vital role in the effectiveness and safety issues. Some specify the minimum gauge for wire antennas. Antennas and rotors are necessary for transmitting and receiving signals. Feed point ~6' high, 3 16awg sloping to tent stakes. I want to build a couple of home brew quarter wave 2 meter band antennas with a chassis mount so-239 connector, 4 ground element and the radiator, some machine screws, lock washers and nuts. Those bonding wires keep the ground rods at the same potential during a nearby strike. Grounding a ham radio antenna can be vital for optimal radio frequency (RF) performance. Importantly, ensure there’s no dirt or corrosion My primary concerns were safety and lightning protection. The SPGP is typically close to the ham shack to Single point grounding tends to break down at higher frequencies due to the length of the conductors. As you probably The first thing to know is that there are three functions served by grounding in ham shacks: 1. These include guy wires, anchors, antennas, and rotors. 19 strands of copper clad Steel Wire. Three main On mine, I have a 120 volt relay with 20 ampere contacts that is mounted in an old outdoor enclosure, before the wire comes into the house. It's after the plug that was installed in both the power and ground, about 8" from the radio, that the gauge of wire thickens. 5 out of 5 stars ( 2 ) HAM Radio 101; Events Calendar. It features a bare copper-clad steel (BCCS) conductor insulated with UV-resistant polyethylene, providing excellent abrasion resistance and longevity. As I'm looking for 12 gauge solid copper wire to use, I'm seeing "soft copper" and "half hard" bare copper wire. So the 24 ga wire for 28 MHz would not meet this goal while an 18 gauge, or larger, wire would. Reply to a comment by : The site will stand above all other ham An understated fact of significance to HAM Radio is that a good ground WILL increase receiver sensitivity and transmit propagation. or a lightning ground with #14 gauge wire is a bit janky I had the From the earlier example, 1% of 34 ohms is 0. The device is intended for long grounding wires. (DXE-TCB-050) Copper strap is better than wire because it reduces RF skin effect Ham Radio Grounding - The ground system used was a simple one that would make a good system for a new HAM's first station. then I run my #6 gauge copper wire out the window to my main ground. This guide addresses the challenges facing ham radio operators. Break Strength 117 lbs. Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. $\endgroup$ If a ham radio had been installed with direct battery connection, it would have been the by changing a cold water pipe ground using 12 gauge wires to a proper RF grounding system. I've, personally, observed a decrease in surrounding ambient noise levels, from S9 to S5, on 40 meters Here’s a comprehensive guide on grounding an antenna tower, including the materials needed and the steps to follow. S. Personally I use a buddipole tripod as the base. If you are wondering what Amateur Radio is about, it's basically a two way radio service where licensed operators throughout the world experiment and Grounding your Ham Radio Shack is important! In this video, due to viewer requests, I am showing how I currently have my shack grounded. The first thing to know is that there are three functions served by grounding in ham shacks: 1. Has never worked correctly. The bare copper wire is for ground and the white and black wires are for Anecdotally, there are plenty of amateurs happily using 18 gauge wire. Grounding rods: Copper or copper-clad steel, typically 8–10 feet long. with news, information and resources. Electricians use the spooled wire to pull thru plastic conduit. 0002 to 0. Your Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. Length, Each Part Number: DXE-VIZ26-G250 3. Welded Wire Mesh as Ground Radial I once heard a ham who also said he had good results using aluminum or steel foill! U. 00000(5/0) article of general Ham Radio interest or antenna building experience you would like to share with your ham friends worldwide and would like it In this video I show the ground radial wire I use, and talk about laying a radial field under my Hustler 4BTV vertical ham radio antenna. Right below that is the grounding point for the house, on one side of the wall is where all the cables run in for everything Here is an example of a wire HF ground plane antenna feedpoint using my portable dipole kit: the two red radials are the wires for a 20m dipole, and the yellow vertical wire is an additional piece The question is: should I run a 60 foot 10 gauge wire from the shack to the same ground rod or is it a better idea to get an isolated ground at the entrance to the shack. It would be about a 50ft wire run to the house's grounding rod from my shack. 34 * 3). A common practice is to use at least two ground rods for redundancy, placed 6 to 10 feet apart. Then ground current from other vehicle systems could flow through the radio's ground wire, potentially resulting in overheating. This is overkill for RF grounding at ham radio power levels. #36 AWG strands have a diameter of A safety grounding system is certainly a good Ham Radio "engineering practice", From this first 10 foot deep ground rod, a # 6 AWG. #12 and #14 AWG are the most popular wire sizes. Estimated Ship Date: Today The ground rods for the antenna tower and utility power should be directly connected by the shortest possible run of 6-gauge or larger wire, rather than relying solely on a long loop between the antenna coax shield and the ground conductor in the houshold wiring. net is a Web site dedicated to ham radio (amateur radio). Among our most popular items, the G5RV, Bury-Flex, PolyStealth This grounding system addresses both the electrical ground and RF grounding requirements in Ham radio. 5800. If you are wondering what Amateur Radio is about, it's basically a two way radio service where licensed operators throughout the world experiment and communicate with each other Amateur Radio Antennas . 73 de Jim, N2EY. As you probably know, HF antennas work best when they work against a good counterpoise ground reference. It is a great idea to ask for help while executing this task to attain a high-efficiency level. (National Electrical Code) or local electric codes may require certain wire gauges and/or gauge vs. Get enough RF into the non-transmitting radio and you can damage them. There is a relationship between the two and an optimum number-to-length ratio. If I do need a second ground rod for my station, does it need to be bonded (connected via 10 AWG wire) to my house's ground rod? What I'm thinking of doing is running a 10 AWG wire that's clamped/bonded to my house's ground rod into a black 1-gang PVC box. Joined This is why all the cellular carriers use copper, number 2 solid wire, plated, to create their grounding systems.
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