Well I guess I will stir up a hornets nest here on station grounding. I
don't! I use to years ago, but I found out lightening will follow
itself right to that grounded equipment instead of staying outside where
it belongs. Bob Heil had this very discussion on Ham Nation either
first of this year or sometime last year. He never grounds his station
equipment, but ALWAYS ALWAYS ground your antennas & use a grounded AC
outlet for the power supplies. Most of our rigs in today's world is
DC. Grounded all that equipment together then running that to a
separate ground rod outside has caused me more problems at my other QTH
than I care to think about. Here is a web site you can read that Bob
told us about station grounding. Good article!
http://www.eham.net/articles/21383
Now if you want to that is fine, but I haven't had any issues in the
past 24 years with lightening coming in my shack. Now I have had to
replace diodes in my electronic antenna switch, came in on Hy-Gain
vertical which was grounded with a 8 foot ground rod & radials. I had to
repair control box inside also, but none of that is grounded to my
station equipment which I'm sure would have done some damage if all that
was grounded together. Coax was not connected to rig. After lightening
hitting, not a huge hit, vertical 3 times I disconnected coax at switch
3 years ago. No more hits! I live on a very high hill also! Great for
ham radio, but not so when storms pop up.
I have a Anderson Power Pole distribution box that I disconnect DC in
cable from & antenna is disconnected when rig is not in use. That is
best lighten protection that I know of. Here in middle TN we are
getting hammered with storms everyday for almost a week. Especially in
my area. No ham radio except indoor antenna until these pop up storms
are finally gone.
73,
Reed W4JZ
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