Shack Grounding/Bonding

[Yoter8600]

I know this has been discussed and just read a 3 page discussion but it did not answer my question. 

I am setting up my shack with GMRS and Ham. I understand the grounding and bonding but have a bonding wire routing question. My home was built in 1972 and the service ground from the breaker box connects to the copper water pipe inside the house where it goes through the concrete in the basement. That line runs 5’ under the ground. My grounding rods are about 40’ away on the end of the house. Can the wire for bonding the service ground and mast ground rods be run through my floor joists? It will also pass close the duct for my heat registers. Is that an issue? I read a post somewhere that said not to but have only seen that once. 

I can’t go in front of my house or I would have to tear up a lot of asphalt and concrete. Going all the way around the back to the front would be about 150’ and pass close to my gas line and gas meter unless I go further out in the lawn. 
 

A second question. Should that bonding wire run directly from rod to service ground or can I run it from rod to bonding box where my lightning arrestors are then from the box to the service ground?

Been doing a lot of reading and get more confused as I read more. Can’t find anything that really covers my situation. 

[PACNWComms]

Do a web search for "Motorola R56" and you will find a PDF of a guide used for professional radio sites. This has an entire section on grounding, something that is often neglected until a lightening strike or power issue takes out most of the equipment. 

As to your questions, I would not recommend running through your floor joists....better as short and direct a run as possible. Don't go near your gas line either. As direct and short as possible with heavy gauge grounding wire, from your radio to a copper ground rod. 

Rod to bonding box and on to service ground should be fine though, unless you have hundreds of feet around your house for that too. 

Look at the amateur radio book/website you must have studies at some point for your license.....it will have some guidance for grounding as well. Keep it short and simple.

 

Good luck.

[SteveShannon]

56 minutes ago, Yoter8600 said:

Can the wire for bonding the service ground and mast ground rods be run through my floor joists? It will also pass close the duct for my heat registers. Is that an issue? I read a post somewhere that said not to but have only seen that once. 
 

The simple answer is no, don’t invite the lightning into your house. 

56 minutes ago, Yoter8600 said:

A second question. Should that bonding wire run directly from rod to service ground or can I run it from rod to bonding box where my lightning arrestors are then from the box to the service ground?

Been doing a lot of reading and get more confused as I read more. Can’t find anything that really covers my situation. 

Which is the most direct way for a lightning induced surge to get to the service ground?  The box where your surge suppressors are is also connected to your service ground, but if running from the mast ground to the service ground is straighter, then that’s what you should do.

Motorola R56 is the bible of station grounding, but most questions related to home amateur radio equipment bonding and grounding can be answered with this document: https://reeve.com/Documents/Articles Papers/Reeve_AntennaSystemGroundingRequirements.pdf

On page 3 is a diagram that shows a bonding conductor running from the mast to the antenna discharge unit and then to the service ground.  On page 10 it shows a bonding electrode running from a tower to a grounding electrode and then to the service ground electrode with a separate ground conductor running from the antenna discharge unit and the service ground, so it can be done either way.

[TerriKennedy]

3 hours ago, PACNWComms said:

As to your questions, I would not recommend running through your floor joists....better as short and direct a run as possible. Don't go near your gas line either. As direct and short as possible with heavy gauge grounding wire, from your radio to a copper ground rod. 

Rod to bonding box and on to service ground should be fine though, unless you have hundreds of feet around your house for that too. 

In addition to bonding to a water pipe (and a jumper around the non-conductive water meter), my electrical service has a ground rod in the floor under the panels. From there, I have #4 wire through the basement wall to outside, where it runs in an "L" pattern about 100' to the back of the house and then along the back wall. Every 16' I have an 8' long ground rod that the #4 passes through via clamps. That #4 then comes up the back wall of the house about 6', where it is connected to the lightning protector for the antenna.

[Yoter8600]

4 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

The simple answer is no, don’t invite the lightning into your house. 

Which is the most direct way for a lightning induced surge to get to the service ground?  The box where your surge suppressors are is also connected to your service ground, but if running from the mast ground to the service ground is straighter, then that’s what you should do.

Motorola R56 is the bible of station grounding, but most questions related to home amateur radio equipment bonding and grounding can be answered with this document: https://reeve.com/Documents/Articles Papers/Reeve_AntennaSystemGroundingRequirements.pdf

On page 3 is a diagram that shows a bonding conductor running from the mast to the antenna discharge unit and then to the service ground.  On page 10 it shows a bonding electrode running from a tower to a grounding electrode and then to the service ground electrode with a separate ground conductor running from the antenna discharge unit and the service ground, so it can be done either way.

Thanks for the reply. I will look at the link you gave. What you said confirms what I thought. The one thing that makes no sense that I always hear is not letting the lightning in your house yet that is essentially what is happening when you bond your lightning ground rod to your service ground. That creates a route into your breaker box. 
 

I will probably just move the ground wire for the service by putting a ground rod in the back of the house and bond everything together that way. That would be the shortest route and probably the easiest. That will get it off the water line. It looks like I should be able to do that. 

[SteveShannon]

21 minutes ago, Yoter8600 said:

bond your lightning ground rod to your service ground. That creates a route into your breaker box. 

Not really. Ground is the reference for everything so lightning always wants to flow towards it, but you don’t want it going through your house to get there. Plus lightning isn’t very good at reversing its direction instantly. 

It would be different if lightning caused a long term voltage increase.