inexpensive long-term stay in Sonora?
I'm thinking of going to Mexico this winter rather than the US as I'm getting dangerously close to spending enough time in the US as to have to file income tax there. :E Going to Mexico is really i...
Forum Discussion
OK, #1; As I mentioned in my post. In Mexico there is no built-in Ground Plane. There is no Ground bus in their distribution boxes. So to connect a ground to the source you would have to run all the way back to the power plant.
#2 According to the NEC (National Electrical Code) You should connect all your grounds to the main distribution panel via the installed ground bus's in each distribution panel. In turn, this panel is connected to an 8' copper grounding rod near or below your meter. There is NO ground coming in from the utility pole! The distribution panel is considered the source. On the utility pole that has the final step-down transformer on it there is a wire from the ground of the transformer down the pole to another ground stake! So, not only is the ground stake a good way to ground your it's the required method. The code also says that the only connection from the ground plane and earth shall be at the source. The reason for this is to limit circulating currents. There also is a connection between neutral and ground scattered throughout the electrical grid. The location of these are very strictly controlled by NEC and don't have much bearing on this discussion.
#3 Planes and cars have on-board generators or alternators which are grounded to the frame. All the DC electrical equipment is grounded to the frame. Of course the negative of the battery is also connected to the frame. There is NO ground wire running back to the source. Boats are a little different; they are sitting on the greatest ground plane in the world! Water! The ground wires from everything connect to a ground plane plate that is in the bilge. It, in turn is connected to a metal through-hull fitting or pipe. The shore power cable should have a 'ground isolator' between the ground wire from the pier and the ground plate. There are a multitude of reasons for this which we don't need to go into for this discussion. They also have the negative of their batteries connected to this plate but that also has no bearing on our discussion.
As to the radio equipment, antennas that are mounted on a non-conductive surface uses what is called a 'NGP (no-gound-plane) antenna' It's basically an antenna that also has a ground connection. Fiberglass cars, boats, and RV's use them. I've got 3 of them on my RV.
#2 According to the NEC (National Electrical Code) You should connect all your grounds to the main distribution panel via the installed ground bus's in each distribution panel. In turn, this panel is connected to an 8' copper grounding rod near or below your meter. There is NO ground coming in from the utility pole! The distribution panel is considered the source. On the utility pole that has the final step-down transformer on it there is a wire from the ground of the transformer down the pole to another ground stake! So, not only is the ground stake a good way to ground your it's the required method. The code also says that the only connection from the ground plane and earth shall be at the source. The reason for this is to limit circulating currents. There also is a connection between neutral and ground scattered throughout the electrical grid. The location of these are very strictly controlled by NEC and don't have much bearing on this discussion.
#3 Planes and cars have on-board generators or alternators which are grounded to the frame. All the DC electrical equipment is grounded to the frame. Of course the negative of the battery is also connected to the frame. There is NO ground wire running back to the source. Boats are a little different; they are sitting on the greatest ground plane in the world! Water! The ground wires from everything connect to a ground plane plate that is in the bilge. It, in turn is connected to a metal through-hull fitting or pipe. The shore power cable should have a 'ground isolator' between the ground wire from the pier and the ground plate. There are a multitude of reasons for this which we don't need to go into for this discussion. They also have the negative of their batteries connected to this plate but that also has no bearing on our discussion.
As to the radio equipment, antennas that are mounted on a non-conductive surface uses what is called a 'NGP (no-gound-plane) antenna' It's basically an antenna that also has a ground connection. Fiberglass cars, boats, and RV's use them. I've got 3 of them on my RV.
