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====== Earthing ======

**Do not conflate [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_(electricity)#Radio_frequency_ground|RF earth ("counterpoise")]] with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_(electricity)|electrical earth]]**

===== Resources specific to the UK =====

{{ ::emc-leaflet-7-earthing-and-the-radio-amateur-basic-version-6.6-april-2025.pdf | RSGB EMC Advice Leaflet EMC 7 - Earthing and the Radio Amateur: Basic Leaflet }}

{{ :emc-leaflet-7-earthing-and-the-radio-amateur-advanced-version-6.8-april-2025.pdf | RSGB EMC Advice Leaflet EMC 7 - Earthing and the Radio Amateur: Advanced Leaflet }}

{{ :iet_earthing.pdf | IET Earthing - your questions answered (2011) }}

===== Warnings for the UK =====

Installing earth rods for RF is misguided. (a) it doesn't work very well due to skin effect, (b) it is not permitted for a non competent person to make changes to domestic mains earth arrangements, which you may end up doing, either deliberately or by accident. You may cause a hazard (fire, shock) and you may invalidate your home insurance. If you think you need to put in earth rods, you probably don't - consult a qualified electrician.

An insulated wire laid on the ground makes a good RF earth. It conducts (couples) RF into the ground fairly effectively, but insulates at mains AC frequencies and DC, up to very high voltages.

**It is not advised to make extraneous connections between your radio equipment and mains earth**. Many ham radio DC power supplies explicitly isolate the DC negative pin from the mains earth connected chassis. Test it with a multimeter to be sure.

The authoritative source for wiring regs in the UK is BS 7671 - also known as the IET Wiring Regulations. Unfortunately it is not freely available. As of July 2025, we are up to 18th edition amendment 3, with amendment 4 likely 2026. [[https://electrical.theiet.org/bs-7671/ensure-you-are-up-to-date-with-bs-7671/|More info]]

There is loads of stuff about earthing online. Anything non-specific to the UK you should automatically disregard in the UK. There is also plenty of bad hearsay advice floating around in the UK amateur community - the latest RSGB guides are reasonably good and worth a read.

As always, if in any doubt, employ a qualified electrician.

===== Lightning =====

Also see BS EN 62305

https://www.jac.ie/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Guide%20to%20BS%2062305%203rd%20edition.pdf

===== General information =====

{{ :motorola_r56_2005_manual.pdf | Motorola - Standards and Guidelines for Communication Sites (R56) - 2005 }} (commercial)