ARRL K6WX “Ground Is a Myth!” – But There's Much much more to the story

ARRL K6WX “Ground Is a Myth!” – But There’s Much More to the Story

Kristen McIntyre, K6WX — First Vice President of the ARRL — is absolutely right when she says “ground is a myth” in the RF world. At radio frequencies, there is no magical current sink called “ground.” RF currents always flow in closed loops. What matters is the current path — especially the return path. If the system is balanced, currents flow predictably. If not, return currents ride the coax shield, creating common-mode pickup, RFI, and noise ingress.

ARRL YouTube presentation (@0:00):

But there’s an important nuance when it comes to AC safety systems. In household and industrial mains wiring, the concept of “ground” — more precisely, protective earth (PE) — plays a critical role. And while it’s not an RF ground, and not a current sink either, it does save lives. The term "ground" or "grounding" itself is misleading. It likely originated as a simplification to help explain safety practices, but in doing so, it obscured what really matters: current paths, equipotential bonding, and fault clearing.

Another overlooked aspect is static electricity. Even in systems where RF and AC currents are well managed, static charges can accumulate — especially on tall structures like towers and DC-isolated antennas. These are not RF currents, but natural electrostatic potentials. They must be safely drained to earth via static bleeders and low-impedance ground rods. Otherwise, you risk flashovers and front-end destruction. Ignoring this is a dangerous oversight.

Ham Florida Man himself — Mark, K3ZD — weighs in on this subject. Don’t miss the video below:

Equipotential Bonding: The Real Role of Safety Ground

In AC systems, safety isn’t about making things “zero volts” to the earth. It’s about keeping all exposed conductive parts at the same potential, known as equipotential bonding. That way, if a fault occurs, you don’t get a dangerous voltage difference between things you touch.

Codes require that the neutral is bonded to earth at one point. That’s what lets RCDs/GFCIs trip — they detect current imbalance, not “ground leakage.” If current returning on neutral ≠ current going out on live, the device trips.

⚠️ Some hams misinterpret this and disconnect PE lines to “reduce RF issues.” That’s unsafe and ineffective. Removing PE breaks the safety network, increases shock risk, and disables protective devices.

Why a Low-Impedance Earth Path Still Matters

A ground rod doesn’t trip breakers — but it helps fault currents find a safe return path. Without it, exposed metal can float to dangerous potentials. With it, fault current surges safely into the earth, ensuring fast breaker operation and reducing risk. Towers and antennas must have this.

⚠️ Tip: To avoid ground loops, maintain ≥15–20 m separation between independent ground rods or bond them correctly. This reduces circulating current and lightning risks.

RF or AC — Always a Closed Loop

Just like in RF, AC current doesn’t vanish into “ground.” It always returns to the source — whether transformer or transmitter. In both cases, understanding the full loop is what matters.

Summary: What You Need to Know

• In RF, “ground” is not a current sink — it’s about return paths and balance.
• In AC, protective earth = equipotential bonding, not magic zero volts.
• Breakers trip from current imbalance, not ground rods.
• Low-impedance earth is vital for fault clearing and lightning safety.
• Towers and DC-open antennas need static bleed systems.
• A rod at your shack entrance ≠ RF ground. Place rods at the antenna site instead.

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