Earthing outside of F-connector via mains plug?

Useful information regarding antennas for SDR products.
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mikebrock
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2015 12:34 am

Earthing outside of F-connector via mains plug?

Post by mikebrock » Wed Dec 09, 2015 12:51 am

Is this method really as simple as it sounds? The way I understand it is you simply crocodile clip the outside of f-connector and run an mains earth wire into an unused mains plug earth pin and plug into household socket??? Seems odd to do that to me - but does it actually work in an sdr set up?

Thoughts please guys - thank you

mike...
Last edited by mikebrock on Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am, edited 0 times in total.
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jon
Posts: 433
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 10:48 am

Re: Earthing outside of F-connector via mains plug?

Post by jon » Wed Dec 09, 2015 8:49 am

mikebrock wrote:Is this method really as simple as it sounds? The way I understand it is you simply crocodile clip the outside of f-connector and run an mains earth wire into an unused mains plug earth pin and plug into household socket??? Seems odd to do that to me - but does it actually work in an sdr set up?

Thoughts please guys - thank you

mike...
Yes, that works, but the ground you achieve is only as good as the mains wiring. If you are on the ground floor, a few metres from the consumer unit for the premises then you may be lucky and truly be a few metres away from a real ohmic connection to the ground. However most likely all you are providing is a random 'counterpoise' to the antenna. This in itself can be very effective but of course your counterpoise is capacitively coupled to the noise-bearing adjacent mains conductors as it wends its way to 'radio' ground. At LF/MW and low HF you may still be providing quite a good radio ground - one rule of thumb is you need to be within a 10th of a wavelength from true ground for your ground to work effectively as a 'ground'. If your radio is in a high-rise building then you are relying a lot on this 'ground' actually being your (very noisy) antenna!

mikebrock
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2015 12:34 am

Re: Earthing outside of F-connector via mains plug?

Post by mikebrock » Wed Dec 09, 2015 4:31 pm

Thank you jon for the eye opener and insight into mains ground system as a effective radio ground. Certainly will be trying this out - cheers

mike
Last edited by mikebrock on Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am, edited 0 times in total.
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