Phil, Despite disconnecting your antennas, you still have to consider that the coax shields enter the house.
Yes, ground rod #2 (and #3 and all others) are to be bonded to the AC Electrical Entry ground rod. I am not sure why that is counterintuitive to you. Yes, there is a very real possibility that a lightning surge will be induced in the house wiring with or without the connection between the grounds. But if there is a lightning surge on either the antennas or the house wiring, you want to keep both at the same potential. Keeping everything at the same potential during a lightning surge event is what the bonding is all about. A lightning surge traveling through the earth can create a very large difference in potential between ground rods that are not connected together, and that potential difference can cause fires and damage. The soil has more resistance than a wire between the ground rods. Look at the 2010 (or 2011) ARRL Handbook chapter on Safety - the fact that ALL ground rods should be connected together is clearly stated. One other point on disconnecting your antennas - consider what happens when you re-connect them. The PL-259 center conductor is connected first, and then the shell is attached. If there is a charge on the coax center conductor, you can zap your equipment by the simple act of re-connecting it. Short the center conductor to the grounded shell before connecting it to your equipment. It is better to disconnect the antennas with a switch in the coax line and provide a DC path to ground across the common coax connector at that switch. 73, Don W3FPR On 3/29/2011 1:12 AM, Phil Townsend wrote: > I have beat into the dirt another 8' foot ground rod(G.R. #2) next to the > outside coax switch > and have installed a Poly Phasor on the output coax that goes into the shack > and poly phasors on each of the coax cables from the antennas. > All the poly phasor's ground lugs are connected to ground rod #2. (Each Poly > phasor has its own wire going to ground rod #2) > > This remote coax switch and ground rod #2 are about 12 feet from the AC mains. > > If I understand correctly, I should also bond this ground rod #2 to the the > AC mains ground rod as well???? > > But if I do that then those antennas will be connected to the grounds in the > house via the AC mains ground rod????? > This seems counterintuitive? I mean... now there will be the very real > possibility of lightning in the house wiring??? > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
