Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Down

Author Topic: Question about copper braid for grounding  (Read 696 times)

N6EO

  • Posts: 5
    • HomeURL
Question about copper braid for grounding
« on: October 09, 2020, 01:18:23 PM »

Hello. Can you tell me if 1/4" copper braid is adequate for grounding the rig and power supply to the bus? It seems like it should be at least 1/2" to me. Also, is tinned copper braid better than regular copper? And price--- I see very reasonably priced braid, says it's all copper. I'm hoping quality isn't that big of a factor if the stuff works.

And one more: I'm looking at buying 8-gauge solid copper wire to ground the bus to the outside ground rod. I wanted 10 or 12-gauge but can't find it in the length I need. Is the thicker 8-gauge difficult to work with or just a better choice than the thinner wire?

Thank you for your advice! Need to get this station up and running!
N6EO
Logged

WA6BJH

  • Member
  • Posts: 242
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2020, 01:26:32 PM »

Well, copper braid is not the best for grounding.  The individual little copper strands aren’t held tightly together so it doesn’t work as well.  Copper braid works OK in coax because the plastic cover holds the individual strands in contact with each other.

I guess number 8 wire is OK; I use 1 inch-wide copper strap.  I think you can get it from DXEngineering.  It’s much better than wire and certainly better than copper braid.  I recommend it. 

Remember, if you have a ground rod outside your shack you need to connect it with a large diameter wire back to the electric entrance ground to comply with building codes.

Logged

N6EO

  • Posts: 5
    • HomeURL
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2020, 01:50:53 PM »

Thank you so much. The No. 8 wire is to go from the copper bus near my rig to the ground rod outside. Are you saying it should be even bigger than that? Say, No. 6??
Thanks again.
Logged

W7TX

  • Member
  • Posts: 23
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2020, 02:01:20 PM »

Like said copper braid is not recommended around RF.  I use 1 inch copper strapping for all shack, and tower to ground.  I connected the tower to the shack ground with #6 bare copper wire underground and it seems good. That's the only place I went with wire because of the distance.  Georgia Copper sells the strapping by mail. That's where I got mine. They have an explanation of why strap and not braid on their page.
Logged

N6EO

  • Posts: 5
    • HomeURL
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2020, 02:06:02 PM »

Thank you very much again! I really appreciate your advice. :-)
73,
N6EO
Logged

K8AC

  • Posts: 2065
    • HomeURL
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2020, 02:16:16 PM »

I use 1/4" copper braid for connecting all the equipment chassis to a buss bar running across the rear edge of the table.  I use that because it's very flexible and easy to work with and easily obtained.  The reason for connecting all the chassis together has nothing to do with RF - it's to make sure that all the gear is at something close to the same potential in case of a nearby lightning hit.  If you have one or more pieces of gear whose chassis is hot with RF, you need to fix that.  It's likely common mode current on the feedline that can be addressed with chokes on the feedline. 

73, K8AC
Logged

N6EO

  • Posts: 5
    • HomeURL
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2020, 02:34:14 PM »

Thank you K8AC  :-)  I'm taking in everyone's advice and it is all very helpful.
73, N6EO
Logged

K1KIM

  • Member
  • Posts: 1556
    • HomeURL
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2020, 03:38:48 PM »

I use 1/4" copper braid for connecting all the equipment chassis to a buss bar running across the rear edge of the table.  I use that because it's very flexible and easy to work with and easily obtained.  The reason for connecting all the chassis together has nothing to do with RF - it's to make sure that all the gear is at something close to the same potential in case of a nearby lightning hit.  If you have one or more pieces of gear whose chassis is hot with RF, you need to fix that.  It's likely common mode current on the feedline that can be addressed with chokes on the feedline. 

73, K8AC

YUP!
Logged
So Many Toys.......So Little Time!

KF5LJW

  • Posts: 577
    • HomeURL
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2020, 04:03:46 PM »

First understand there is no such thing as an RF ground, and all ground wires used in the shack are Equipment Grounds for safety. #12 AWG is al that is required by code, but generally 6 AWG is used to compensate for low voltage DC of 12 volts.
Logged

W9WQA

  • Member
  • Posts: 990
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2020, 04:26:53 PM »

12v doesnt matter since the ground carries no current till lightning hits
Logged

WA9AFM

  • Member
  • Posts: 978
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2020, 06:11:10 PM »

If you've not already done so, get a copy of "Grounding and Bonding For The Radio Amateur" by Ward Silver, N0AX.  It addresses the very questions you are asking.
Logged

N6EO

  • Posts: 5
    • HomeURL
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #11 on: October 09, 2020, 07:21:38 PM »

Just ordered it! Should have done it a long time ago....
Thanks!
Logged

NA4IT

  • Member
  • Posts: 363
    • HomeURL
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #12 on: October 10, 2020, 05:18:52 AM »

You can buy copper plumbing strapping at Lowes that works well.
Logged

NN4RH

  • Posts: 604
    • HomeURL
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #13 on: October 10, 2020, 05:45:30 AM »

You can buy copper plumbing strapping at Lowes that works well.

What they sell nowadays is galvanized soft steel. I haven't seen actual copper strapping at Lowes or Home Depot for years. At least not where I lived. And what they used to sell before that, that I remember, was copper-plated soft steel.
Logged

W9WQA

  • Member
  • Posts: 990
Re: Question about copper braid for grounding
« Reply #14 on: October 10, 2020, 06:48:09 AM »

that works good...
Logged
Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Up