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#1
January 16th 04, 09:35 AM
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"Ron Hardin" wrote in message ... You're most likely to blow out the radio by grounding it. Horse****. All the radio needs is a counterpoise to its whip; the wall wart supplies that already, capacitively. There is some truth to this. If you have a multimeter, measure the AC (not DC) voltage between two ground stakes driven in say twenty feet apart. Usually it's about a half a volt. The earth is alive out there. That's why the NEC requires all grounds to be bonded togeter. |
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#3
January 17th 04, 09:45 AM
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AJG,
Grounds & Grounding = Five Topics for your Consideration FIRST - Check Your A/C Power Outlets with an A/C Outlet Analyzer like the RadioShack # 22-141. This simple devise WARNS you of Faulty Wiring in 3-Prong 110-125 VAC Outlets in your Household. Detects and Indicates: * Normal Wiring * Bad Ground * Open Neutral * Reversed Hot/Neutral * Reversed Hot/Ground * Open Hot Plus the newest version: Tests for Correct Operation of Ground Fault Circuit Isolators. NOTE: Remove this Analyzer from the packaging very carefully SAVE: The Backing Card with the Printed Test Instructions (These Instructions are Valuable) IMHO: EVERY HOME OWNER SHOULD HAVE ONE OF THESE ! WHY: An external outside Earth Ground Rod with Ground Wire System for your Radio Reception Equipment and and Antennas is Actually a HAZARD if your Household Wiring is Bad. TBL: SO CHECK YOUR HOUSEHOLD A/C ELECTRICAL OUTLETS FIRST [.] NOTE: Often a Bad A/C Electrical Outlet is the Source of RFI. SECOND - Making USE Of A GROUND When NO Other Ground Is Available. WHY: Often this is necessary because there is not other ground available; the Radio is being run on Batteries; a Wall Wart is being used and the output is isolated/insulated from the A/C Ground. This simply provides a basic External Ground Directly to the Radio at a place designated on the Radio like a Ground Terminal or SO-239 Jack. WHAT: Buy a standard Heavy Duty (Appliance Type) Black Rubber "Three Prong Plug" for use as the Ground Interface with your Household Wiring and to create the 'external' Grounding Point. CAUTION: Only connect the ROUND Ground (Green) Prong to a 16-18 AWG Stranded Green Colored Insulated Wire of 5-10 Feet Length with a Slotted Terminal or Alligator Chip at the other end. (Simply Do Not Use the two blade prongs.) Why use a Green Colored Wire because "Green" represents Household Electrical Wiring Ground. CONNECTION: Connect the Slotted Terminal or Alligator Clip to the Ground Connection of the Radio like the Ground Terminal or SO-239 Jack. THIRD - Ground your Antenna(s) at the Antenna to Feed-in-Line Junction (outside and the building) For Noise (RFI) Reduction use Coax Cable as a Feed-in-Line from the Antenna to the Radio and Equipment. This outside Ground Point becomes the "Primary" Ground for your Antenna System. FOURTH - For Your Personal Safety and to Protect your Radio Equipment: * Disconnect the Antenna when the Radio is not in use and during Electrical (T&L) Storms. * Buy a SO-239 Connector and wire the center pin to the outer threaded fastener. (Shorted) Connect this to your Shack's Equipement Ground BUS if you bave one. * When the Coax Cable is Disconnected from the Radio: Connect the Coax Cable to the SO-239 Shorting Plug. * When Disconnected, Keep the Coax Cable at least 18" away from the Radio. Your Shack's Equipement Ground BUS should be at least 12"-18" away from all your equipment. * Additionally during Electrical (T&L) Storms Un-Plug (Disconnect) the Radios and Equipment from the A/C Wall Outlet(s). FIFTH - HOW TO: Install the Ground ROD into the Ground: (Eazy installation of Ground RODs) * Dig a One to Two Foot Deep Hole 6"-9" Wide. * Fill the Hole with Water and wait till it soaks into hole. (If really dry, fill with more water and wait. Repeat this process if necessary and waiting over a day and/or night is OK.) * Now begin the Implantation of the ROD into the Ground. * * First try simply Pushing the ROD into Ground for a few feet. * * Use home made ROD Driver (A Two Feet piece of 1" Iron Pipe with a Nipple on one end.) Slide it over the Top of the ROD and use it to Tap the ROD into the Ground for a few more feet. * * Finally use a Sledge Hammer or Heavy Object to Pound the ROD into the Ground still using the Rod Driver over the ROD until the Top of the ROD is level with the surounding Ground. (Remove the ROD Driver and clean-up the surface of the ROD.) * Attach the Ground Wires using a Heavy Duty Ground Wire Clamp designed specifically to make this type of connection. * Fill the Hole with a "50 / 50 Mixture" of original Soil (50%) and the other (50%) made up of these parts of 1/2 "Bentonite" (clay kitty litter); 1/3 Epson Salt; and 1/6 Copper Sulfate works well 'in-the-ground' around ground rod. Water this down and 'tamp-it-down' lightly over the next few days. SIXTH - Your specific questions are answered in the body of your message. iane ~ RHF .. .. = = = (Alan J Giddings) = = = wrote in message . com...\ RMR RMR RMR RMR RMR RMR RMR RMR RMR RMR RMR RMR RMR RMR Hello, Can anyone offer me a little advice on the grounding of my SW receivers? I have a couple old Soviet SW radios, a Sony SW77, Sangean ATS-909 and a new Degen 1102. I want to make a ground that will work well with any of these receivers. Q - What material is best? Copper, Iron, Steel etc? A rod or plate? =R= The most commonly used "Earthen Grounding Devise" is a Eight Foot (8 Ft.) Copper Clad Steel Ground Rod. Read "HOW TO: Install the Ground ROD into the Ground:" above. Q - What is the best type of cable to use as a lead-in to the receiver? =R= The most common type of connector from the Ground Rod to the Radios and Equipment is Heavy Duty #8-#10 AWG Copper Wire this can be Solid Bare Copper Wire or Seven Stranded Insulated Copper Wire. Q - Is there an ideal length? =R= The Shortest and most direct route as possible. Depending on where the radio will be the lenght could be anything from 5 Ft to 30 Ft. Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks, Alan .. I Am Glad You Asked ~ RHF .. |
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#4
January 17th 04, 07:22 PM
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"RHF" wrote in message om. ... FIRST - Check Your A/C Power Outlets with an A/C Outlet Analyzer like the RadioShack # 22-141. This simple devise WARNS you of Faulty Wiring in 3-Prong 110-125 VAC Outlets in your Household. Out of curiosity I just checked RS and they do still stock these ($5.95) but about a year ago I purchased 4 of them on a close out for .99 ea.. Yes, they are handy . I already had one but could never find it when I needed it, don't have that problem now that I have 5. Ya never know at the big red R, several months ago I purchased a 7.5 watt amplified mobile speaker for just a few bucks on a close out (should have bought more). They now have same speaker (same model number, same store) back on the shelf for $27.95. RM~ |
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#5
January 18th 04, 12:03 AM
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Now understand that the device does not detect and does not
claim to detect earth ground. That obvious is one understands what that $6 Radio Shack tester does. There is no simple device to verify integrity of earth ground. And that Radio Shack tester will only report a failed safety ground - not to be confused with earth ground. That Radio Shack tester will not report a good safety ground. It can only report a failed safety ground. It, or a 3.5 digit multimeter, will detect some safety ground problems. This discussion is about earthing. Any wire that is 1/4 wavelength or longer is an antenna - not an earthing wire. For 60 Hz AC electric, a long wire to earth may be an earth ground. But this discussion is about radio frequencies and noise. That distance to earth ground must be shorter. It is just another reason why the incoming wire first makes a less than 10 foot connection, either via surge protector or hardwired, to the building's single point earth ground. As was noted in earlier posts, using multiple (separate) grounds can create problems both for humans and transistors. Problems that the three light tester will never detect. That three light tester is only a preliminary check. But there really is no substitution for visual inspection. Rob Mills wrote: "RHF" wrote in message om. .. FIRST - Check Your A/C Power Outlets with an A/C Outlet Analyzer like the RadioShack # 22-141. This simple devise WARNS you of Faulty Wiring in 3-Prong 110-125 VAC Outlets in your Household. Out of curiosity I just checked RS and they do still stock these ($5.95) but about a year ago I purchased 4 of them on a close out for .99 ea.. Yes, they are handy . I already had one but could never find it when I needed it, don't have that problem now that I have 5. ... |
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#6
January 18th 04, 03:10 AM
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The electric idiot strikes again.
"w_tom" wrote in message ... (bunches of useless horse****) |
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#7
January 18th 04, 01:07 PM
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= = = "CW"
= = = wrote in message ... The electric idiot strikes again. "w_tom" wrote in message ... (bunches of useless horse****) CW, Shauuu ... You'l wake him up again. Time to Check and Adjust my 'Inverted "CK" Antenna' ( AHaaa... Now I Am Safe  )Near Field Mode: "Tune-In-the-Truth" (What Ever It May Be) - - - A-n-D - - - Far Field Mode: "Tune-Out-the-Absurd" (I Don't Know What You Call It... But I Know It - When I Hear It !) So Say I ~ RHF The Inventor of the 'Inverted "CK" Antenna' .. .. |
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