heli001

My Feedback: (5)

Guys,

NO.......NO.......NO.......NO.......!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

Unless you understand the theory of 'Ground Loop" don'e EVEN consider the ground rod thing.....VERY DANGEROUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave, the generator is grounded because it is a "SEPARATELY DERIVED" source of power.....has nothing to do with plugging into your house......

If you want MORE information please PM or email me...but NEVER drive a separate ground rod when using your house power...if someone told you to do it, it was very bad information....

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

W. C., are you an electrician ? You must be thinking of something else.

Dave.

heli001

My Feedback: (5)

Dave,

A fault current will follow the path of least resistance....

If for some reason the ground rod at the trailer had better potential than the house ground, the fault would come from the source and follow the path to the trailer, damaging whatever is in it's path. The GFI would do no good as the fault will pass through it on the "Line" side and not the "Load" side of which it is protecting. There is a reason that the isolated "Ground" wire is run parallel with the hot an neutral and "Bonded" back at the main service entrance.

I worked on studies of Grounding, Ground Faults, Fusing and Damage Potential with Bussman Fuse many years ago, taught the National Electrical Code and Electrical Theory and have been the industry for 35 plus years.[X(]

Don't think I am thinking of anything else, other than Life Safety........

Edit: The term "Ground Loop" (if that is what you are referring to) is NOT referring to a tail dragger, it is the differential in pontential of Grounding Electrodes, and why they should ALL be bonded to the source, I.E., Grounding Grid, Counterpoise.

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

__________________________________________________ ____
heli001....I know what you are talking about, because my duties as a
Power Production Specialist included the operation and maintenance of
large stand-by power genarators....big enough in fact to power March
Air Force base where I was stationed.

"Grounding, Ground Faults, Fusing and Damage Potential "

That's four completely different chapters in the theory book, as you know.
The last two pertain mainly to safety under power out conditions, when
internal power (generators) come on line....and the exact instant that external
power (from generators) comes back on line....and the accidental co-phasing
of unequal power sources, with different load factors....and applies alse to
power surges, spikes, and the accidenatal overload caused from lightning.

These rare conditions, as applied to commercial and industrial power grid
situations....and the safety and protection thereof....have precious little to
do with our three wire residential systems and grounds.

As you also know....a "grounding grid" is a bunch of ground rods, pounded into
the ground...at specific intervals, and connected together with grounding straps.
The grounding grid is what saves the day, when nasty things happen to elec.
circuits and systems.

An 8' ground rod, pounded 7 1/2 feet into the ground will never have less
resistance than the ground system of a house, that has the ground system
mated to the steel fresh water, and the steel sewer pipes. In theory, the only
ground that would be better than that....would be ground rods driven deep
into the bottom of the ocean floor.

Also remember that Mr. Edison (the elec company) provides us with 3 wires
only....two 110 legs, so we can have 220 for our electric ranges, and clothes
dryers....and the common. He does not provide us a ground. We have to
make our own.

In any place with elect. service without grounds ...inhabited by warm blooded
mammals....in most cases, you will find that the mammals are all dead. [X(]

How this all relates to r/c....I have no idea....

Dave.





As applied to what we're talking about

heli001

My Feedback: (5)

Dave,

Good points, and I don't know what it has to do with RC either......

It's all to do with the grounding potential and where the fault arises, and that is why there is only ONE ground that is derived at the service entrance, it has nothing to do with power out conditions. Damage Potential is when a service panel is ripped out of the studs by a fault exceeding the asymmetrical rating (normally 10,000 AIC for residential) of the buss or breakers, hence the study on current limiting fusing. That same fault can travel anywhere along the grounding path, if there is another source ground installed. Granted, it leans more to the industrial/commercial side, but there have been many house fires started by "Back Yard or Jerry Rigged Wiring" which was fault current related.............

Anyway, we could go on for hours about this, but not here..........[X(]

John,

Sorry to have taken your thread off on a tangent, and hope you got the correct plug...........

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

heli001, just strolling through threads and seen all these replies to this, wish I could get notifications on all my threads!!!

Anyway, I was going to contact you to see if you could hook me up with one of those plugs like in CK's post, the type I can plug a normal extension cord into, I have looked all over... Let me know what to do.

Thanks
JV

heli001

My Feedback: (5)

John,

I will pick you one up in the morning......email me your address.......

iowanspctr

In reponse to Helio001's post, you're right about the seperately derived supply. Refer to my earlier post about the segregated ground. One ground reference is best and safest.

4*60

My Feedback: (41)

Just thought I would note. We plug in our RV's all over the place with 110, including at home, campgrounds, storage areas and do not pound in separate ground rods. We have a ground wire (3 wire) and a GFI usually. Not being an electrician or engineer, but I am satisfied that a million or so, trailers, motor homes, vans are OK and your trailer will be too. The green or bare wire will provide the ground.

Just don't hook up the green to the neutral, like I did to a power drill cord in the 70's in the rain in Manitoba, while working on a Stinson L5 full-size. I kind of vibrated with the new drill that a guy had brought out and realized that I had wired the plug to the cord incorrectly. No GFI, nothing to save me! I obviously lived to tell the story! I did learn about 110 house wiring after that!

dadsdesigns

My Feedback: (1)

Hello
if you can't find one and still want one of the weatherproof male recepticals let me know I stock them for use on my Aerolodge line of trailers. PM me or email me

Just be safe.
Bob

Here is a link to a Aerolodge flyer Look at the picture in the upper left corner. Thats the receptical I stock.
http://www.the******************.com...rolodge_info_2

GeorgeB

I have a plane trailer that has a small, 4-inch wide by 2 1/2 inch tall and 2-inch deep, weatherproof box with a hinged lid/top that has a 110v male plug inside it mounted/recessed into one side of the trailer. I got it at a RV dealer. Inside the trailer, I have several common outdoor 110 duplex outlets wired to it with a ground fault connector for added safety. When I come home from flying, I plug the female end of an outdoor extension cord into the trailer and the male end into an outlet that is also ground fault protected. I then plug my charger for my flight packs into an outlet in the trailer, as well as a charger for something like a glow starter. Inside the trailer I have a couple of 110v flourescent lights for when I am at home. I also have a couple of 12v lights wired in with my trailer lights that I can use at the flying site. Both kinds of lights are wired to the same single pole double throw switch that I got at Radio Shack. This allows me to select which lights I want on.