Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

[Towertalk] Proper way to ground open-wire feeders

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [Towertalk] Proper way to ground open-wire feeders
From: SPELUNK.SUENO@prodigy.net (EUGENE SMAR)
Date: Sat, 3 Aug 2002 14:31:48 -0400
Tony:

     My votes/comments below.

73 es GL de
Gene Smar  AD3F

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Casciato, AI9X <ai9x@arrl.net>
To: towertalk@contesting.com <towertalk@contesting.com>
Cc: smc@qth.com <smc@qth.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Saturday, August 03, 2002 12:23 AM
Subject: [Towertalk] Proper way to ground open-wire feeders


>
>Options:
>1) Manually disconnect outside the basement window, then connect both wires
>to a ground rod about 4' away.

Best idea, but a PITA.

>2) Leave connected all the time, since the tuner's balun is grounding the
>line to the house ground.

Violates the first rule of lightning protection:  Keep lightning out of the
house.  The lightning stroke will probably vaporize the balun and jump to
nearby objects within the shack.

>3) Leave connected, but put some sort of ICE or spark-gap device outside
>connected to ground rod.

Getting better.  You're attempting to shunt the energy to ground BEFORE it
wipes its feet on your welcome mat inside the house.

>4) Replace the 30' high doublet with better antennas (Sigma vertical
clones)
>and use coax.

Same problems with coax - need a protector outside.  Also, you're
surrendering to the problem.

>5) Go back to the knife switch and cold-water pipe ground inside.

See First Rule of lightning protection, above - keep energy OUTSIDE the
house.
>

>73,
>Tony, AI9X
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Self Supporting Towers, Wireless Weather Stations, see web site:
http://www.mscomputer.com
>Call 888-333-9041 to place your order, mention you saw this ad and take an
additional 5 percent off
>any weather station price.
>_______________________________________________
>Towertalk mailing list
>Towertalk@contesting.com
>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>