At 9:50 AM 5/2/1998, tduffy wrote:
>>From k3lr Sat May 2 00:07:33 1998 To: "Dr.
>Robert Smithwick" CC: RFI Reflector Subject: Ground Rod Placement
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding:
>7bit Hello, Smitty. Thank you for the kind words. There are LOTS of
>excellent experts on this reflector, which is one factor that makes it
>so good. You have already had very good advice from W4DES and K0IL on
>this subject. I can only expand upon their comments a wee bit: 1. I
>notice that ALL of the antennas listed in your original message are
>balanced (Yagis and dipoles). You did not specify the feedline
>arrangement, but I will assume use of coax with baluns up at the
>antennas. Such a configuration does result in minimum RF ground current
>from the rig. Your "simple ground" is, most likely, adequate in that
>respect. 2. As I understand your message, you have two (2) ground rods:
>one for the rig, and another for the tower. You don't say if the two are
>bonded together in any way. They should be if they aren't. 3. I, too,
>hope that the ground rod for the rig is not in your basement or house,
>but is at least a little ways outside of the house and/or foundation
>wall. The concern, as the others have stated, is for lightning reasons.
Dale - I knew when/if I asked a question of an engineer, I'd get a
professional reply, and of course that is what I got, happily.
I own't take your time by commenting along the way to all of your many
valuable suggestions. But I read them, re-read them, and printed them out
to read them again at more leisure, with my radio in front of me.
Your suppositions was correct as to my phsycial arrangements. But my two
grounds are not tied together, and, yes, one of them is inside the
foundation, but behind the shack wall, into moist dirt; the other is just
outside that same foundation at the base of the tower, and perhaps 20' or
so away. Neither is vy deep, perhaps 6'. And as I described, all is 'cold'.
The one factor I deal with now, with your great comments and suggestions,
is with the 'law of cimishing returns', hi.
We don't see visible lightning, nor hear lightning more than 1-2 X/year if
that. When we do, it's a time to call the 'children' to see it! True. I'm
on a hill, about 1200' above the entire bay area. and when there is
lightning in the area, I SEE it. When I hear it, if I hear it, it has
always been many miles distant judging from the sighting vs the sound. And
my homeowner's insurance policy questionnaire doesn't even mention it.
Question: should I go to all the precautions that I would have if I lived
back in Chicago area, where I once did? NO one, not even public buildings
in our part of Calif. show any visible lightning protection - NADA. In the
mountains, 120 miles to the East, yes, they do, but no wehre to the
universal extent of the Midwest and East even there. So I guess you'll have
to understand that our view has modified severly over what it was when I
was a W9.
But having read your exposition, I am going to take some more basic
common-sense steps that you point out. Will be easy and allow me to get
back in the 'sleep mode' in the winter/summer seasons now that you have
alerted me. AhMe! Life will never be the same for this W6, hi.
TnxAgnDale
Vy 73737
Smitty, W6JZU
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