Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TowerTalk] Which thruse bearing?

To: Bill Turner <dezrat@copper.net>, towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Which thruse bearing?
From: Jim Lux <jimlux@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 13:04:57 -0800
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
At 08:51 AM 12/12/2006, Bill Turner wrote:
>I've had towers for years but never used a thrust bearing. Now I want
>to. In comparing the Rohn TB-3 and the Yaesu GS-065 I see the Rohn
>sells for about three times the price. Is it three times better?
>
>This may sound odd, but the reason I want a thrust bearing is to
>provide a lightning path directly from mast to tower rather than
>having the strike go through the rotator to the tower. In other words,
>I want to use the thrust bearing to ground the mast as opposed to
>having the mast free-floating. Does that make sense?

If you use a ball or roller bearing, the lightning might destroy the 
bearing, because the contact area is very small. (actually it might 
just flashover the entire bearing)

If your only concern is lightning, why not mount a wide low 
inductance electrode close to the mast.  A clearance of 0.1" will be 
jumped at a few kV, and will have very low impedance once the arc is 
lit.  Any pitting or erosion will occur on the electrode and the 
mast, as opposed to inside a bearing.

I'm thinking about something like a piece of 1"x1/8" copper bar stock 
with the 1" direction parallel to the axis of the mast. The end of 
the bar stock is spaced a small distance from the mast.  You can bolt 
it to the tower, or, use the ever popular exothermic welding to 
connect it to a down conductor.

Jim, W6RMK



>All comments welcome.
>
>Bill, W6WRT
>_______________________________________________
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>TowerTalk mailing list
>TowerTalk@contesting.com
>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk


_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

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