Three different things get called "ground". Confusing them is why so many stations have RF problems and unsafe wiring.
- Electrical safety ground — the green wire, protecting people from mains faults. Never defeat it.
- Lightning protection — a low-impedance path that keeps everything at the same potential during
- RF ground / counterpoise — part of the antenna system, needed by verticals and by unbalanced
a surge.
feeds.
The principle that matters: single-point bonding
Bring every feedline and control cable to one entry panel, bond all shields and surge protectors to that panel, and bond that panel to your electrical service ground with heavy conductor. Multiple separated ground rods with no bond between them are worse than none — they create a voltage difference straight through your equipment.
Practical steps
- Coax surge arrestors at the entry panel, not at the radio.
- Ground rods at the entry panel and at tower bases, all bonded together and to the service ground.
- Disconnect antennas during storms. This remains the single most effective protection, and it is
- Use short, wide conductors — strap rather than round wire — for surge paths. Inductance, not
free.
resistance, is what matters at lightning frequencies.
RF in the shack
Hot microphones, tingling keys, erratic computers and mysterious CAT dropouts mean RF is coming back down the feedline. Fix it with a common-mode choke at the antenna feed point, ferrites on cables, and a balanced feed — not with more ground rods.