This weeks net was about shack and tower grounding, or earthing.
It was discussed about using house (metal) water pipe as your shack ground. It was general consensus that this is a bad idea. There can actually be leakage voltage on the pipes from the electric hot water system, if that's what you have. VK3DFL, who is a retired plumber, wasn't on the net, but discussing it with him later confirmed that it was definitely a bad idea to use metal water pipes as a ground.
It was agreed that a reasonable system is 2 ground rods, about 1.5 to 2 metres apart, connected by decent earth wire and fed to some sort of metal bus-bar in the shack, that the ground terminal on radios and equipment can be connected to.
A lot of towers are mounted ion concrete blocks and are thus not grounded. A heavy wire can be clamped to a leg of the mast and connected to a ground stake.
Ian, VK3DNQ, explained how his hazer type tower was grounded by 4 rods that are connected to the tower in the concrete base and protruding into the surrounding soil to spread any lightning strike out.
Recording to come . . .
- VK3UA (NC) - Mark
- VK3DNQ - Ian
- VK3HJV - Paul
Call-in:
- VK3STV - Stephen (was going to participate but he is an SES volunteer and was called out just after the net started.)
Thank-you to all who participated.