In article
,
Tom Horne wrote:

Can anyone make a recommendation, based on actual training and
experience, as to what width and thickness of copper strap would be
needed as the down conductor from the antenna mounts at the peak of my
house roof, some twenty five feet above local terrain. I have a a
mount for an antenna at one gable end and a mount for a weather
station sensor array at the other. What thickness and width should I
use in the earth between the two Grounding Electrode Systems. I will
drive five eighths inch copper rods, each eight feet long as far out
from the foundation as I can get them or eight feet were possible. On
one end that will be only six feet due to the proximity of the
property line. At all of the other rod locations I will be able to
keep them at least eight feet from any underground obstructions. To
compensate for the proximity to the foundation wall to the first rod
I will use rod couplers and drive it to hard rock or sixteen feet
whichever comes first. I'm guessing that in keeping the remaining
rods at least eight feet out from the foundation and sixteen feet
apart that I will only have four rods total in a ring around the back
side of the house. What is the best way to attach the copper strap to
the support masts and eve brackets themselves? Do you know of
anything that will make a good connection to the one inch galvanized
iron pipes that I'm using for support masts?

Can you recommend a technique for bonding the interior grounding buss
at the operating position to the exterior vertical copper strap. I
have no idea how that is usually done.
--
Tom Horne, W3TDH

You seem to be confusing Lightning Ground, Electrical Ground, and RF
Ground, here, and they are basically three different things. If you
build a Lightning Ground, it may, or may not, be an effective Electrical
Ground. Neither of these will be of any use as an RF Ground, unless you
happen to live in a Salt Marsh. You see Copper Strap Grounds, mostly on
Wood, or Plastic Boats, (ships) used to extend the RF Ground, from the
SeaWater, to the Radio, or Antenna Tuner. Here the Strap becomes part of
the Antenna System, and they need to be engineered, so as to provide as
low of impedance connection, between the two as possible, over the
widest Frequency Range. Some work better than others. Some don't work at
all, and the only way the radio functions at all, is because of Good
Band Conditions.

--
Bruce in alaska
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