Ok, Joe, I’ll get back to you. In addition to MASTR II 800 MHz PA’s. I have Uniden PA’s (Millcom … later Crescend). 200 or 400 mW drive? I don’t remember if they were 75W or higher. I don’t know their efficacy on 900 MHz. In case you’re interested. All removed from commercial service years ago. They were very reliable. Ingenious design. Small PA boards connected with jumpers. Easily replaceable in the field. Just a larger “breadboard layout” design. Kimo KH7U
Joe, I won’t be able to check my manual inventory until after May 20. I believe I do have copies of the manuals (besides having 800MHz?PA’s as well).
Kimo Chun KH7U On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 12:41?AM Joseph Mancino via <joseph3502= [email protected]> wrote: Hi all,?
?
Does anyone have any documentation on the Mastr II 800MHz PA's, or any Mastr II PA's at all? Follow up...has anyone ever modified one to 900MHz? Since all capacitors inside are fixed, there are not any adjustment points to slide it eup. I have full power output on 860, and power drops significantly after 895. Just need to slide it up a little bit, but will need a schematic of it in order to figure out what new capacitors to stick inside.?
?
Thank you,
Joe KC3LMP
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Re: Hi power VHF Micor stuff for FREE
Hi Larry. Sorry, have been tied up getting ready to go to Hamvention. The stations are still available. I get with you next week. Thanks!
Kevin, K9HX
Kevin, just checking to see if you received my direct emails.
?
Thanks,
?
Larry
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Re: Hi power VHF Micor stuff for FREE
Kevin, just checking to see if you received my direct emails.
?
Thanks,
?
Larry
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If you think about it, what everyone tries to do is to drive the longest rod they can into the ground "to get the best earth connection".
Most people can't vocalize what they mean by "earth". Why are they doing it? What for?
As per Motorola R56 (Standards and Guidelines for Communication Sites):
? To help limit the voltages caused by lightning.
? To provide a path to earth for the discharge of lightning strokes in a manner that protects the structure, its occupants and
the equipment inside.
? To help limit the voltage caused by accidental contact of the site AC supply conductors with conductors of higher
voltage.
? To help dissipate electrical surges and faults, to minimize the chances of injury from grounding system potential
differences.
? To help maintain a low potential difference between exposed metallic objects.
? To stabilize the AC voltage relative to the earth under normal conditions.
? To contribute to reliable equipment operation.
? To decrease noise in signal and control circuits by minimizing the voltage differentials between different signal reference
subsystems.
? To provide a common signal reference ground.
?
Notice how far down the list signals are mentioned.
The main priority is lightning protection.
?
R56 goes on to mention:
At a communications site, all grounding (earthing) electrodes shall be bonded together to form a single grounding electrode
system. All grounding electrodes used for grounding of the power system, grounding of communications systems and
grounding of lightning protection systems shall be effectively and permanently bonded together.?
The AC power system ground, communications tower ground, lightning protection system ground, telephone system
ground, exposed structural building steel (metal frame/framework), underground metallic piping that enters the facility and
any other existing grounding electrode system shall be bonded together to form a single grounding electrode system.
?
?
Underground metallic piping systems typically include water service, well castings located within 7.6 m (25 ft) of thestructure, gas piping, underground conduits, underground liquefied petroleum gas piping systems and so on. Interconnection toa gas line shall be made on the customer's side of the meter?
?
R56 references a "grounding electrode system" and then goes on to depict MULTIPLE earthing electrodes. Mathematically speaking, it is far easier to have multiple shorter earth rods than it is to have one single earth rod with the same surface contact area with the soil (lowest impedance).
TLDR: Don't worry about it. Cut the top off. Put more in. Join them up.
?
?
?
?
?
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I'm going to look into renting a hammer drill/jack hammer. Sounds like it might be worthwhile.?
?
Thanks
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Hey Kimo,
?
No problem and no rush...just kinda something I wanted to play with. Thanks for the reply.
?
Joe
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Anytime I sink a ground rod I always rent an electric jackhammer. I've had to install a dozen or more at a time at tower sites in the mountains of West Virginia and have almost always been able to penetrate down to the 8' level.
73,
Rod N8RAT
On Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 03:16:33 PM EDT, N4FOX via groups.io <n4fox.r@...> wrote:
Been trying all day to get a 8ft grounding rod all the way down. I have 6ft in the ground. It doesn't seem to want to go deeper.?
?
I feel I've hit rock. The ground here is very rocky & mixed with red (iron rich) clay. The tower is next to the house. Its embedded in a 5ft deep concrete base. There was about 10/12ft of topsoil/earth moved to level the spot for the house. So the lack of original top soil means I'm hitting lots of rock fairly soon.?
?
This area used to be mined for iron ore. So that's why I know the ground is rich with iron deposits in that red clay. Heck my drinking water is spring fed & it's rich with iron too.?
?
So here's what I was wondering given the circumstances & type of soil for the area. Can I just get another grounding rod & drive on the other side of the tower. It will hopefully go 6ft in as well. Deeper would be nice. Then tie the two rods together with sold conductor ground wire at the copper bus bar I'm mounting on the tower. Would that be good??
?
I'm using a "maximum effort" ?? fence post driver & sledge hammer.?
?
Also I'm noticing the hole gets bigger than the grounding rod from all the labor of driving it in. I've got some pure copper powder. Would it be wise to pour some down that hole to help fill gaps & ensure good connection?
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Re: Decibel DB-404 antennas. ALL ARE SOLD
Your Welcome Rick. HAHA??
Thanks again Sir..
Kory
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On 2025-05-15 16:19, Rick E via groups.io wrote:
Many thanks to all for the overwhelming requests for these antennas.?
They have all SOLD but I want to thank each and every one who had interest or got one for your outreach!
?
SOLD SOLD SOLD?
?
They are all sold.
?
Rick w6re
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Re: Arcom AP1 Intelligent Autopatch
A good alternative for those with AllStar on their repeaters is to get an Asterisk phone number and configure your AllStar node to handle the phone patches. Works well for those who are already IP based and connected without the need for a dedicated patch board/copper land line, Magic Jack etc....
?
Just a thought!
?
73
Rick, w6re
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DB-420 bottom half 470-490 MHz cut antenna project.
Hello RB members,
? ?I have a potential project that I thought I would list for those of you who like things like this.
?
I have the bottom half of a Decibel DB-420 16-bay antenna array here that is cut for the 470-490MHz band according to the dipole loop sizes. They are a good 1.5-2" shorter than the 450-470MHz cut versions I have used in the past. The harness is in great shape and there is no damage to the hardware. Basically it is laid out like a DB-408 with the connector at the top of the harness to feed another DB-408 making up the full DB-420 16-bay array. I will ship it less the bottom half of the mast to anyone needing it or interested in a project for $150 + actual shipping to you.
?
Maybe it can work on GMRS frequencies since they are quite broad banded, maybe the harness can be terminated at the mid-point connector and used as is, maybe someone can modify the harness and use it as is. Basically it is a project or for someone with a damaged bottom half of your DB-420 higher cut that needs the parts.
?
I don't see many parts for these come up anywhere so I figured list for the RB group.
?
Thanks for looking,
? Rick w6re
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Re: Decibel DB-404 antennas.
All have SOLD in less than 24 hours.?
?
A big THANKS to all who had interest or got one!
?
If I get any more, I will be sure to post up about it!
?
Rick w6re
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Re: Decibel DB-404 antennas. ALL ARE SOLD
Many thanks to all for the overwhelming requests for these antennas.?
They have all SOLD but I want to thank each and every one who had interest or got one for your outreach!
?
SOLD SOLD SOLD?
?
They are all sold.
?
Rick w6re
|
I had similar issues down here just south of you in my soil. We have "hills" all around us and can't dig 2ft down with out hitting something big solid. When I did my tower grounds, i drove the first one in and it went 5ft and wasn't going any further. So I swapped sides and tried another one, this one went 4ft and hit rock bottom, so my thought was third time is a charm. I drove the 3rd one in just shy of 6ft and that was that.? So I have 3 rods in the ground at different depths, all tied together. Been several years and no issues yet, I have watched lighting literally jump past my tower from a tree, over the house and hit the power transformer on the pole, so I have to assume it is working somewhat at least.
Kory
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On 2025-05-15 15:16, N4FOX via groups.io wrote:
Been trying all day to get a 8ft grounding rod all the way down. I have 6ft in the ground. It doesn't seem to want to go deeper.?
?
I feel I've hit rock. The ground here is very rocky & mixed with red (iron rich) clay. The tower is next to the house. Its embedded in a 5ft deep concrete base. There was about 10/12ft of topsoil/earth moved to level the spot for the house. So the lack of original top soil means I'm hitting lots of rock fairly soon.?
?
This area used to be mined for iron ore. So that's why I know the ground is rich with iron deposits in that red clay. Heck my drinking water is spring fed & it's rich with iron too.?
?
So here's what I was wondering given the circumstances & type of soil for the area. Can I just get another grounding rod & drive on the other side of the tower. It will hopefully go 6ft in as well. Deeper would be nice. Then tie the two rods together with sold conductor ground wire at the copper bus bar I'm mounting on the tower. Would that be good??
?
I'm using a "maximum effort" ?? fence post driver & sledge hammer.?
?
Also I'm noticing the hole gets bigger than the grounding rod from all the labor of driving it in. I've got some pure copper powder. Would it be wise to pour some down that hole to help fill gaps & ensure good connection?
|
It has been several years ago, but at that time electrical code required the house ground to be embedded in the concrete of the house foundation. Keeping that in mind, you probably already have a pretty good ground.
Depending on how you did your concrete, a friend of mine made a square plywood box in the hole to pour the concrete in. In that case, you could drive a ground rod next to it and get it quite a bit of the way to start with.
As for the wiggle room around your rod, I wouldn't worry about it. Nature will take care of it.
Mick - W7CAT
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----- Original Message ----- From: "N4FOX via groups.io" To: [email protected]Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2025 01:16:29 PM Subject: [repeater-builder] Grounding rods Been trying all day to get a 8ft grounding rod all the way down. I have 6ft in the ground. It doesn't seem to want to go deeper.
I feel I've hit rock. The ground here is very rocky & mixed with red
(iron rich) clay. The tower is next to the house. Its embedded in a 5ft deep concrete base. There was about 10/12ft of topsoil/earth moved to level the spot for the house. So the lack of original top soil means I'm hitting lots of rock fairly soon.
This area used to be mined for iron ore. So that's why I know the
ground is rich with iron deposits in that red clay. Heck my drinking water is spring fed & it's rich with iron too.
So here's what I was wondering given the circumstances & type of soil
for the area. Can I just get another grounding rod & drive on the other side of the tower. It will hopefully go 6ft in as well. Deeper would be nice. Then tie the two rods together with sold conductor ground wire at the copper bus bar I'm mounting on the tower. Would that be good?
I'm using a "maximum effort" ?? fence post driver & sledge hammer.
Also I'm noticing the hole gets bigger than the grounding rod from
all the labor of driving it in. I've got some pure copper powder. Would it be wise to pour some down that hole to help fill gaps & ensure good connection?
-- Untitled Document
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Soldering them together is fruitless. Always use Caldwell
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On May 15, 2025, at 3:16?PM, N4FOX via groups.io <N4fox.r@...> wrote:
? Been trying all day to get a 8ft grounding rod all the way down. I have 6ft in the ground. It doesn't seem to want to go deeper.?
?
I feel I've hit rock. The ground here is very rocky & mixed with red (iron rich) clay. The tower is next to the house. Its embedded in a 5ft deep concrete base. There was about 10/12ft of topsoil/earth moved to level the spot for the house. So the lack of original top soil means I'm hitting lots of rock fairly soon.?
?
This area used to be mined for iron ore. So that's why I know the ground is rich with iron deposits in that red clay. Heck my drinking water is spring fed & it's rich with iron too.?
?
So here's what I was wondering given the circumstances & type of soil for the area. Can I just get another grounding rod & drive on the other side of the tower. It will hopefully go 6ft in as well. Deeper would be nice. Then tie the two rods together with sold conductor ground wire at the copper bus bar I'm mounting on the tower. Would that be good??
?
I'm using a "maximum effort" ?? fence post driver & sledge hammer.?
?
Also I'm noticing the hole gets bigger than the grounding rod from all the labor of driving it in. I've got some pure copper powder. Would it be wise to pour some down that hole to help fill gaps & ensure good connection?
|
I've seen electricans put ground rods in using
hammer drills. might be worth a try ?
Mike KA2NDW
?
?
?
On Thu, May 15, 2025 3:16
pm, N4FOX via groups.io wrote:
Been trying all day to get
a 8ft grounding rod all the way down. I have 6ft in the
ground. It doesn't seem to want to go
deeper.
?
I feel I've hit rock.
The ground here is very rocky & mixed with red (iron
rich) clay. The tower is next to the house. Its embedded
in a 5ft deep concrete base. There was about 10/12ft of
topsoil/earth moved to level the spot for the house. So
the lack of original top soil means I'm hitting lots
of rock fairly soon.
?
This area used to be mined
for iron ore. So that's why I know the ground is rich
with iron deposits in that red clay. Heck my drinking
water is spring fed & it's rich with iron
too.
?
So here's what I was
wondering given the circumstances & type of soil for
the area. Can I just get another grounding rod & drive
on the other side of the tower. It will hopefully go 6ft
in as well. Deeper would be nice. Then tie the two rods
together with sold conductor ground wire at the copper bus
bar I'm mounting on the tower. Would that be
good?
?
I'm using a
"maximum effort" ?? fence post driver &
sledge hammer.
?
Also I'm noticing the
hole gets bigger than the grounding rod from all the labor
of driving it in. I've got some pure copper powder.
Would it be wise to pour some down that hole to help fill
gaps & ensure good connection?
?
?
?
|
I had a similar issue here in northern Colorado. The soil is clay
with bedrock at 4 feet. I ended up driving each rod with a big
hammer drill until bedrock, then cut it off and drove the
remainder further away. I have a dozen 4' rods buried now. I later
read that you can put them in at an angle, even bury them
horizontally if you have no other choice.
I put the tower 70 feet from the house for aesthetic reasons, but
also because any lightning may be attenuated by the time it got to
the shack. There are ground rods at both ends.
On 5/15/2025 1:16 PM, N4FOX via
groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Been trying all day to get a 8ft grounding rod all the way
down. I have 6ft in the ground. It doesn't seem to want to go
deeper.?
?
I feel I've hit rock. The ground here is very rocky &
mixed with red (iron rich) clay. The tower is next to the house.
Its embedded in a 5ft deep concrete base. There was about
10/12ft of topsoil/earth moved to level the spot for the house.
So the lack of original top soil means I'm hitting lots of rock
fairly soon.?
?
This area used to be mined for iron ore. So that's why I know
the ground is rich with iron deposits in that red clay. Heck my
drinking water is spring fed & it's rich with iron too.?
?
So here's what I was wondering given the circumstances &
type of soil for the area. Can I just get another grounding rod
& drive on the other side of the tower. It will hopefully go
6ft in as well. Deeper would be nice. Then tie the two rods
together with sold conductor ground wire at the copper bus bar
I'm mounting on the tower. Would that be good??
?
I'm using a "maximum effort" ?? fence post driver &
sledge hammer.?
?
Also I'm noticing the hole gets bigger than the grounding rod
from all the labor of driving it in. I've got some pure copper
powder. Would it be wise to pour some down that hole to help
fill gaps & ensure good connection?
|
I started out with using water. With it 6ft down now there's no pulling it up. I have still been soaking the hole for hours today. It's just sitting there with water in it. That clay doesn't let much escape/soak in.?
|
Pour water down the side of the rod and let it set a while. Repeat process several times. They try again and if it doesn’t go down see if you can pull it up and pour water directly down the hole with a hose. Get it good and soaked. It may push the rock out of the way.?
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Show quoted text
On May 15, 2025, at 2:16?PM, N4FOX via groups.io <N4fox.r@...> wrote:
? Been trying all day to get a 8ft grounding rod all the way down. I have 6ft in the ground. It doesn't seem to want to go deeper.?
?
I feel I've hit rock. The ground here is very rocky & mixed with red (iron rich) clay. The tower is next to the house. Its embedded in a 5ft deep concrete base. There was about 10/12ft of topsoil/earth moved to level the spot for the house. So the lack of original top soil means I'm hitting lots of rock fairly soon.?
?
This area used to be mined for iron ore. So that's why I know the ground is rich with iron deposits in that red clay. Heck my drinking water is spring fed & it's rich with iron too.?
?
So here's what I was wondering given the circumstances & type of soil for the area. Can I just get another grounding rod & drive on the other side of the tower. It will hopefully go 6ft in as well. Deeper would be nice. Then tie the two rods together with sold conductor ground wire at the copper bus bar I'm mounting on the tower. Would that be good??
?
I'm using a "maximum effort" ?? fence post driver & sledge hammer.?
?
Also I'm noticing the hole gets bigger than the grounding rod from all the labor of driving it in. I've got some pure copper powder. Would it be wise to pour some down that hole to help fill gaps & ensure good connection?
|
Been trying all day to get a 8ft grounding rod all the way down. I have 6ft in the ground. It doesn't seem to want to go deeper.?
?
I feel I've hit rock. The ground here is very rocky & mixed with red (iron rich) clay. The tower is next to the house. Its embedded in a 5ft deep concrete base. There was about 10/12ft of topsoil/earth moved to level the spot for the house. So the lack of original top soil means I'm hitting lots of rock fairly soon.?
?
This area used to be mined for iron ore. So that's why I know the ground is rich with iron deposits in that red clay. Heck my drinking water is spring fed & it's rich with iron too.?
?
So here's what I was wondering given the circumstances & type of soil for the area. Can I just get another grounding rod & drive on the other side of the tower. It will hopefully go 6ft in as well. Deeper would be nice. Then tie the two rods together with sold conductor ground wire at the copper bus bar I'm mounting on the tower. Would that be good??
?
I'm using a "maximum effort" ?? fence post driver & sledge hammer.?
?
Also I'm noticing the hole gets bigger than the grounding rod from all the labor of driving it in. I've got some pure copper powder. Would it be wise to pour some down that hole to help fill gaps & ensure good connection?
|
digitalradiohacker
N4FOX
Wayne Childers