Using Metal Roof For Ground Plane

This roof is approximately 20ft above grade and about 5 8ft below height of spot where antenna will go.

Using metal roof for ground plane.

So if you are planning on mounting all your antennas on the roof. Approximately 15ft x 10ft of roof made of aluminum. Over the years many amateur radio operators have successfully used a metal roof as the ground plane or radial system for their hf vertical antenna. And for hf verticals.

3 wide rib panel. Preferably near the center of the largest masses of metal. 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. The roof slopes slightly down towards ground to flow water and snow off.

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. 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 will most likely have to order the roofing metal in the amount and color specific to your house. Top sellers most popular price low to high price high to low top rated products.

Metal roofs make great ground planes for vhf uhf antennas. In stock at store today. The actual height of the metal roof above ground is not especially important for an hf quarter wave vertical antenna. 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.

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. Here s some potential materials you can easily use as a ground plane. 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. Indoor antennas you say.

It works just as well as the other. This is a new antenna much different than my other metal roof ground plane antenna.