Newbie ?

[Dutchman11]

What size wire do you guys use to go from your inside ground to your outside earth ground?

 

[GnG8d]

You're grounding at the breaker panel and not making a ground loop, right?

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Either way use the biggest you can find. I use triple ought but that's just me. I also use four inch wide copper sheet for ground runs too.

 

[C2]

half inch braid

 

[vkrules]

I don't use wire I use 1/2 inch copper pipe.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

half inch braid

That's pretty tiny if you are looking to bond your grounds together for lightning protection. As a simple safety ground it is OK.

 

[Tallman]

I don't use wire I use 1/2 inch copper pipe.

Not a good practice. Solder will melt and interrupt your ground. I located a manual for grounding antennas.

 

[binrat]

Not a good practice. Solder will melt and interrupt your ground. I located a manual for grounding antennas.

Solder is bad practice for grounds. I used ground clamps on my last tower and grounding system. I too used 1" copper pipe. It was pain in the a$$ but worth it.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Not a good practice. Solder will melt and interrupt your ground. I located a manual for grounding antennas.

I believe vkrules said he used a copper pipe to run to his outside ground. He did not say he used his cold water pipe. Nothing wrong at all with using a piece of copper pipe,in fact it is great as it has a large surface area consisting of both the inside and outside surfaces. Use clamps or brazed connections on each end and you are golden.

Solder is bad practice for grounds. I used ground clamps on my last tower and grounding system. I too used 1" copper pipe. It was pain in the a$$ but worth it.

Agreed,never use regular solder for lightning grounds. In fact doing so violates the NEC. Clamps or exothermic joints (Cadweld) or bronze brazing using something like Selfoss rods should be used. I used clamped connections which I then brazed with Selfoss when I installed my new tower. The connections to the tower itself were bolted using a piece of stainless steel between the copper lug and the galvanized steel tower. I found out that over time the copper will strip the zinc out of the galvanizing and leave a rusty connection underneath the copper making for a very poor connection.

http://www.solacity.com/lightning.htm


Triple ought (000) gauge ground cable with home made lug brazed with Selfoss.

Not my best work but better than clamping alone since this will be buried.At least it is bonded to both the copper pipe and the ground cable.

Stainless strap between the copper and the zinc galvanizing.

Four inch copper strap connecting lightning arrestor panel to ground buss at tower bottom.