Re: [TowerTalk] Grounding a bracketed tower

[Red <RedHaines@centurytel.net>]

HI, Mack;

A source for PolyPhaser's book, The Grounds ...................., was 
mentioned in the past couple of months.  I recommend trying Ham Radio 
Outlet.  They advertise in QST and you can get their URS there.

Go to ICE web site for a list of their bulletins.  There is some good 
stuff there.

By the way: ICE and PolyP each make good quality lightning protection 
equipment.  ICE transmission line lightning suppressers are superior 
because they include a saturable reactor in parallel with the gas tube. 
It provides a much lower voltage path for the lightning.  The gas tube 
turns on quickest and the inductor is, after the core saturates, a short 
heavy copper wire to ground.

Either one depends on shunting most of the energy to ground without it 
having to pass either a gas tube or the inductor.  Both ICE and PolyP 
include a high voltage blocking capacitor that helps protect the 
equipment in the shack.  ICE includes a static bleed resistor on the 
shack side, too.  A simple gas tube without the blocking capacitor 
passes the peak voltage into the shack.  Don't settle for one of those.

Phone and power lines require MOVs to shunt surges.  Get a good one for 
the distribution box and another for use at the station power and phone 
lines, tied into the single point ground.  

Don't depend on the power line safety ground for RF or lightning ground. 
The inductance is often high.  Do tie it to the single point ground 
system.  

Remember, the high voltage power line doesn't hurt the bird perching on 
it, as long as the bird doesn't touch a second conductor.

73 de WOØW


_______________________________________________

See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.

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