Antenna Grounding

Antenna grounding

Grounding:

The term grounding means a common return path in electrical circuits. Electricity grounding is nothing but the connection of part of an electrical circuit to an electrical ground.
There are three types of grounds, static, RF and electrical. Static grounding is the most difficult. There will no be guaranteed results. The electrical grounding is the easiest. It is considered to work perfectly in most of the cases.

Antenna grounding:

In an antenna the mast, the boom, the dish, the director, the reflector, can be grounded. The contact of metal bonding to a ground wire directly runs into the earth through a deep ground rod. The active element of an antenna cannot be directly grounded. The antennas can be grounded via a special coax grounding block. This reduces the static charge buildup and reduces probability of a hit. In a log periodic yagi antenna most of the elements cannot be grounded directly. A wireless antenna that consists of a thin metallic conductor bonded to a thin-grounded dielectric substrate.

Need of antenna grounding:

The outdoor antennas should be grounded for safety purposes. The direct and secondary static electricity lightning has strike probability increased by a build up of static charge at point of conductivity. The static electricity is build up at the time of thunderstorm with wind blowing over the metal structures. This builds an attraction to the opposite static charge build up in the storm clouds. Continuous draining off the static charges can reduce the probability of strikes. This is because the potential difference is reduced. The antennas with no ground path will be at high risk.

Use of antenna grounding:

The primary use of grounding is safety from electric shock and fires caused by a voltage potential between earth and a conductor. Grounding provides a return path for fault currents. This allows the fuse to disconnect the circuit. The voltage between objects that can be touched at the same time can be reduced. Grounding helps in stopping the power ground carrying noise into the systems. Grounding reduces the current hazards. The grounding is helpful in providing signal paths and power at low voltages within the equipment. Grounding provides lightening protection. A grounding system diverts the huge currents from lightening strikes.