At 10:24 AM 1/27/03 -0600, Jon Ogden wrote:
>Additionally, with the disconnect method, you either have to unhook all your
>cables every time you leave the shack or risk having a storm/strike sometime
>when you are not home, etc.
>
>Even if you still chose to disconnect, having surge protectors outside the
>shack at the tower base or at the place where you have your SPG is a MUCH
>safer idea.
If budget were no object, then I'd probably do as you say, Jon. The point
of asking the question about the safety RF choke was static drainage, not
strike protection.
I am fairly well convinced that the unmanageable variables in my situation
(second floor shack, long ground lead, uncertain integrity of power
neutral/ground, very old house) mean that an always-connected, 24-hour
setup a la Polyphaser is probably not to be counted on. I would rather
ground my tower well and disconnect every conductor at the bulkhead (an
aluminum plate in the bottom of a double-hung window). I'm not sure I
believe in the "it'll come looking for ground" school of thought anyway,
not at the end of a 250-foot feedline and control lines with multiple
right-angle turns.
This is a relatively low lightning area, but I have had multiple strikes
within 1000 ft (1-Mississippi) of the house over the last 6 years, and have
had zero problems in the house except for one computer modem that got
zapped by induced voltage in the telephone line. So I think I'll go on
doing what I'm doing.
73, Pete N4ZR
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