Posted: 5/23/2016 9:38:14 PM EDT
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I have a fresh new topic in the DIY forum. Basically, how to get a 2" hole cut through an 8" thick poured basement wall.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_139/1871077_.html&page=1 It is one of these new fangled houses that (I guess) has the ground rods poured inside of the walls. I cannot locate any grounding rods around the perimeter. I want a way to ground my ham gear. What is the best way to do this? I could hammer a ground rod outside the wall, and run a piece of copper from the shack table where my gear will reside, but I don't think it is wise to have it not be tied in to the home's true ground.... |
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There is a ground wire running from your service panel to a ground of some kind. It could be you have a Ufer (grounded to your concrete like you mentioned) or it could be that the ground rod was installed before the lot was fine graded and a bunch of dirt was piled up over it in the process. Either way, there is a ground and you should be able to find it. You will want to tie all of your grounding to this point.
Next, go to W8JIs site and read up... another member here pointed this site out to me not long ago, he has the most understandable information out there on station grounding. Start here: http://www.w8ji.com/house_ground_layouts.htm Edit: posted in your DIY thread. If I wasn't clear enough, I would try to avoid boring through the concrete. It ain't that easy. Well, it is if you have a core drill but that's another matter altogether. |
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Partially finished basement. Ham shack/man cave is not finished.
Through the rim board? Ugh. 
If I go through the rim board, I am going to be placing LMR 400 very near the big bundle of romex. I will ALSO come out through the siding outside of the house. It will also be a PITA to get a hole straight through the rim board without drilling upwards due to the placement of the joist. LMR 400 and bend radius: I was going to place a 90° fitting and lightning arrester inside the LB. I am also going to use a bigger LB box than the picture I posted. I didn't feel like surfing Google images for a different picture. Thank you for the link; VERY good descriptions on his site. I will grab a shovel tomorrow and look to see if the big fat copper ground coming out of the breaker box goes outside in to dirt, or if it hooks in to grounds inside of the poured wall. |
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I'm not sure about your grounding issues, but if you go through the wall, rent a core drill. You'll need to make some assumptions about the wall reinforcing so you miss your bars. A cored hole will be cleaner, less spalling and a lower chance of cracking than with a hammer drill.
It won't be easy. You'll need some sort of jig to hold it in place, they require a water source and the waste water will be full of abrasive particulates. When you're done, you'll have a kickass-looking slug of concrete that makes a dandy paperweight (except that it rolls). |