> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:towertalk-
> bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jim Lux
> Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 4:05 PM
> To: Bill Turner; towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Which thruse bearing?
>
> 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
Keeping a constant space between the bar and the mast may be a problem as
the mast moves with wind etc. But the bigger problem is that the voltage
across the gap needs to rise high enough for an arc to start which means
that the voltage across the bearing must also rise that high. I would think
that the bearing would be the first to arc because of the closer spacing in
it.
73
Gary K4FMX
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