On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 07:56:32 -0500, Bob Miller
wrote:
Question -- is there a problem in using a safety ground as an rf
ground, too? If I connected 10x50-ft bare, buried radials to my little
pipe, and used it as a safety ground for the station, and also as a
ground to work an inverted "L" against, would that be a problem, or
should I have separate ground points?

Hi Bob,

The Safety ground as RF ground will be ONE radial equal in path to all
copper it is connected to (your plumbing in other words, provided it
is not plastic) - not bad, but not any great shakes. It was never
designed nor installed to serve RF, just to keep 60Hz tamed around
home, shop and garden.

You can build a separate Safety ground into your antenna ground
system, but code demands you then connect both Safety grounds (to keep
you, children, small animals, and your neighbors alive - this is not
just a tedious bureaucratic exercise). The wire between them must be
continuous (no splices). This also has the added advantage of cutting
down on nasty noise problems called "ground loops" (the hum that
refuses to go away or the strange operation of other electronics while
you are transmitting).

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC