Likewise!
I think I put in the equivalent of a broadcast station ground system
(over 600 feet when copper was a fraction of today's prices. Copper? I
purchase a fair amount of steel and Al stock. Steel is currently close
to what I paid for copper 12 years ago. Scrap copper is, I believe is in
the high $3 range
Of course I had a good job which paid a bit better than a pension along
with SS <:-))
That would be a bit out of my budget range today, but as said, it's a
one time shot and if you can afford to over buid a protection system, go
for it!
No system will give you 100% protection, but more is better.
73 and Good luck!
Roger (K8RI)
On 2/3/2015 5:42 PM, Patrick Greenlee wrote:
I think you did very well. I agree with your comment that it is a
one time expense so worth doing well and maybe some peace of mind in
the bargain too. Hard to fault bigger than minimum specs when facing
so powerful a potential event .
I'll probably settle for less than the best possible design due to
constraints of $ but will likely go with ARRL affiliated insurance to
hedge my bets and also get a little peace of mind. A rough order of
magnitude sort of comparison tends to direct me toward insurance vs
sinking huge outlays and not ever getting 100% protection. I hope I
choose wisely in deciding how much to spend on good grounding vs
insurance. I will opt for doing what I reasonably can to keep
lightning out of the shack as mine is in occupied living space and
meet or exceed code on outside efforts letting insurance "worry" about
equipment only risks due to a threat exceeding my system's protective
capabilities.
Good luck to us both,
Patrick NJ5G
On 2/3/2015 3:00 PM, Bryan Swadener via TowerTalk wrote:
Patrick,
1. Neither of us have any idea whether my licensed PE did (or did not
do) any calculations. Since it's his job to know and he's done it for
decades, I trust his opinion. However, to satisfy you, I'm willing to
pass my PE's contact information to you (off list) so you can ask him
if he did any calculations. Please don't tell him I referred you.
2. 2/0 is a safer bet than smaller gauge wire. Since the potential
loss is great, I'd rather err on the large side. And again, it is a
ONE TIME investment. Unlike many penny-wise and pound foolish hams,
when my butt is on the line, I have no issues with spending more as
long as the pocketbook allows. Compared to the overall cost of
installing a used TX472 + F12 C-4XL, the cost of 2/0 wire was less
than tiny.
vy 73,
Bryan WA7PRC
Date: Tue, 03 Feb 2015 07:58:06 -0600
From: Patrick Greenlee
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] [Bulk] Antenna to Shack Ground Connection
It is unlikely that he did calculations to arrive at his 2/0 statement.
More likely it is a "stock" prescription that works with all interested
parties and likely serves its intended purpose. Frequently practitioners
of a discipline give stock answers to stock problems. Do not assume
your specific case got special custom treatment. That is unlikely.
Patrick NJ5G
On 2/3/2015 3:14 AM, Bryan WA7PRC via TowerTalk wrote:
When I erected my tower, my PE (a ham who was recommended by TT
people) wrote:
"Each tower leg shall be bonded to one ground electrode minimum
using 2/0 or equivalent wire">
I presume he knows of what he writes. Since it's a one-time
investment and I didn't want to PO my PE> (and also not pass my
county's final inspection), I just did what he wrote.>
vy 73,> Bryan WA7PRC
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73
Roger (K8RI)
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