neutronics
Member
Does anyone have pics of any ground probes on your tanks? 
Ground Probe Pictures
- Thread starter neutronics
- Start date
neutronics
Member
this may sound stupid but is the ground probe just a wire/rod connecting the water to the ground? I am clueless here Must is be DIY or can you actually buy them?
Must is be DIY or can you actually buy them?
T
thomas712
Guest
You can make them for usually less than 5 bucks, I did.
Thomas
Thomas
T
thomas712
Guest
Reefnut - This is a bit old but it is from another board that I belonged to way before here. This is a report on my success in making my own ground probe after detailed assistance and recieving some education about stray voltage and such. This was back when I had my 55 setup and was drawing 13.21volts from my electrical devices, namely a bad heater and my saddle filters.
I called around town and on the third call the bike shop told me that they do have some titanium spokes that they do not use anymore and that I could have the lot for $10.00, I told them that I only needed one for a DIY project and they told me to come on down and we would work something out. THEY GAVE ME THE ONE FOR FREE! can't beat that! Then a trip to Lowe's where I purchased the following: 1 package shrink tube = $1.60; 1 grnd clamp =$1.44 and some 14 copper wire 6 foot long = 0.48; I had the crimping supplys so no cost there.
I cut a 4" peice of the spoke after buffing and shining it and cleaning. Striped both ends of the wire, putting the spoke and wire together I crimped it and heatshrinked it. Cleaned the copper water pipe with a fine abrasive paper, and just for good measure applyed Alnox electrical joint compound on the pipe and the open end of the wire. Attached the ground clamp to the pipe, screwed in the wire, and set the probe end in the tank. Then I crossed my fingers and pulled out the voltage meter. Get this .001v!
At the time I made this ground probe I felt it was quite and achievment for me, and my fish that I had at the time after adding this ground probe calmed down and relaxed, you should have seen them before hand, spazzing right out.
The part about the copper pipe is where I attached it to the cold water pipe in the house where, most houses are ground. A great deal of homes will have the ground rod right under the weather mast where the electric meters are, you should find a coppper wire attached to it leading into the home attached to the cold water pipe, and thats why I did it that way.
So as you can see this ground probe cost me even less than 4 dollars to make myslef.
Thomas
I called around town and on the third call the bike shop told me that they do have some titanium spokes that they do not use anymore and that I could have the lot for $10.00, I told them that I only needed one for a DIY project and they told me to come on down and we would work something out. THEY GAVE ME THE ONE FOR FREE! can't beat that! Then a trip to Lowe's where I purchased the following: 1 package shrink tube = $1.60; 1 grnd clamp =$1.44 and some 14 copper wire 6 foot long = 0.48; I had the crimping supplys so no cost there.
I cut a 4" peice of the spoke after buffing and shining it and cleaning. Striped both ends of the wire, putting the spoke and wire together I crimped it and heatshrinked it. Cleaned the copper water pipe with a fine abrasive paper, and just for good measure applyed Alnox electrical joint compound on the pipe and the open end of the wire. Attached the ground clamp to the pipe, screwed in the wire, and set the probe end in the tank. Then I crossed my fingers and pulled out the voltage meter. Get this .001v!
At the time I made this ground probe I felt it was quite and achievment for me, and my fish that I had at the time after adding this ground probe calmed down and relaxed, you should have seen them before hand, spazzing right out.
The part about the copper pipe is where I attached it to the cold water pipe in the house where, most houses are ground. A great deal of homes will have the ground rod right under the weather mast where the electric meters are, you should find a coppper wire attached to it leading into the home attached to the cold water pipe, and thats why I did it that way.
So as you can see this ground probe cost me even less than 4 dollars to make myslef.
Thomas
B
billwinterholer
Guest
Someone on another forum made the suggestion of using a piece of anti-static matting. This is the black foam pads that electronic components are kept on to prevent static electricity from frying them.
I have loads of them around and checked to see if it would work. It actually did work well. However, I'm not sure what chemicals are used to treat the mat and if they're safe in the reef.
Bill
I have loads of them around and checked to see if it would work. It actually did work well. However, I'm not sure what chemicals are used to treat the mat and if they're safe in the reef.
Bill