Safety earthing radio equipment when ground out of reach

[M1BWT]

Hello,

I've read various posts advocating always earthing (safety, not RF) radio equipment. However, I've not yet found any conclusive advice of what to do when there is no opportunity to install a proper earth (with a copper earth bus feeding down to earth rods).

My shack being a few floors up with no access to exposed ground, I'm wondering whether the consensus is to best avoid any half measures, such as binding to the central heating pipes? I can see why you'd want to avoid binding to gas pipes, but having a combi-boiler gas central heating system, binding to the radiators can't be much better!

Does anybody have any alternatives, such as binding to the ring main earth? Or is it just a case of if you can't do it properly to a set of earth rods, don't do anything?

[John_D]

Simon,
See if this can help.

http://www.radioworks.com/nbgnd.html
Cheers
Jon G4FUT

[M1BWT]

Thanks Jon - looks very detailed, thanks - I'll have a read!

[AE6ZW]

I never felt need for GND of 12 V radio other than RF GND as long as antenna is not very high. however, I used to repair radio, some lighting stricken one. when lighting strike antenna , it seems like high voltage from lighting look for shortest and lowest resistance path. I saw a huge difference in damage between GNDed radio vs NO GND. grounded radio lighting does not jump to near by equipment , but it go to ground. but, non grounded radio, lighting often travel to power line ( nearest low resistance point ? ) and often damages anything connected to AC or DC power line including TV, VCR, computer, etc. I saw evidence in damage that lighting travel from ANT to AC/DC power supply, power supply to AC line.