Using Metal Roof For Ground Plane

The roof slopes slightly down towards ground to flow water and snow off.

Using metal roof for ground plane.

On using a metal roof as an antenna the joints between panels are likely not soldered and are likely to form corroded diode junctions that generate rfi. I was worried about lightning so i decided to try a different design. Indoor antennas you say. Metal roofs make great ground planes for vhf uhf antennas.

The short answer is no you don t have to ground a metal roof and you will incur no additional risk if you don t ground it in most circumstances. Preferably near the center of the largest masses of metal. Top sellers most popular price low to high price high to low top rated products. The actual height of the metal roof above ground is not especially important for an hf quarter wave vertical antenna.

This is a new antenna much different than my other metal roof ground plane antenna. Approximately 15ft x 10ft of roof made of aluminum. Roof shingle flashing comes precut to 8 x 12 galvanized steel and usually under a buck at the hardware store flat cookie sheets of the correct size pizza pans old circular saw blades paint can lids. And for hf verticals.

It works just as well as the other. So if you are planning on mounting all your antennas on the roof. This is possible with a metal roof on a home barn garage carport rv porch and metal sheds or awnings and even on commercial buildings. Metal conducts electricity but when you are dealing with a full roof a lightning strike would ground out through the rest of the structure without causing damage or harm to the interior.

You ll be in good shape. You will most likely have to order the roofing metal in the amount and color specific to your house. Here s some potential materials you can easily use as a ground plane. In stock at store today.

You will also need a large garbage can a jigsaw or power metal shear a staple gun a drill and assorted drill bits 1 inch roofing nails metal roofing screws and self drilling self sealing wood screws. It would likely make a lousy antenna.