Ground options

Santiago Mejia HI8O

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Santiago Mejia HI8O

Yes, that is correct. Luckily we don’t have too many lightning in my city, but yes that is a major risk at my station. But, there is no ground on the shack neither (7th floor), so it’s a double whammy.

KC7ES

You may be able to use the structural steel of the building as a ground for your antennas on the roof. Are there any cooling towers up there? You might find they have copper plumbing that may be useful. In your shack, there are products that create ‘artificial’ grounds.

K1DLM

I agree with KC7ES.  The structural steel of the building is the best way to ground. This is how commercial antenna structures are grounded in these environments.

John KB4DU

Are you looking for a lightning protection ground? If so, the building steel will be best. Most buildings this height have the building steel available at the roof for this purpose. For shack equipment, bonding together is the best you can do.

KY6LA_Howard

JohnK2CIB

There are two grounds in your shack you need to think about.  One is an electrical ground, like the grounding pin on your electric service.  Very old buildings did not have that but had copper plumbing or metal radiator pipes.  Your equipment should be grounded to those.  The other ground is for RF and any ground over a few feet away is useless, although the artificial ground box mentioned above can help tune it.  When I had lots of RF floating around my third-floor shack, I put copper screening under the carpet and attached the radios to that.  It is called a counter-poise and it worked pretty well.  Using a toroid on your coax cables, or a current-mode isolator, will prevent RF from running back and forth on your coax and help too.  It is not a science and takes one step at a time towards achieving a good ground at all frequencies when there is no earth to be had.  Resonant antennas with low SWR works best.  1/4 wave verticals not good.  Good luck.

Martin AA6E

Santiago Mejia HI8O

WA2SQQ

I believe that the "artificial ground" is aimed more at RF resonance matters. I doubt this device would offer any protection related to lightening or static buildup / discharge.

Santiago Mejia HI8O

Yes, indeed. I'm in need of both.