Appreciate all these continued comments and opinions. I am reading all with
much greater interest than last month. I took a massive lightning hit here in
early May and I don't even have a tower up. On the side of mountain (hill)
though and have a 18-inch diameter oak with the top half blown away to remember
it by. Suffice it to say the low 160m dipole near that tree, and the first 100
feet of coax connecting it to the antenna switch were essentially vaporized (or
blown to the next county.) Past that point, not so pretty either. Lost just
about all electronics in the house.
All the ideas and discussion are priceless, whether good, bad, or
"agree-to-disagree" points.
As I build back the station, I intend to bring antennas and control lines to a
SPG plate 15 feet from the house, with the surge protection units
(polyphasers). This will be the disconnect point for all coax and control
lines during storms. Over on the house side of this 15 foot separation, the
station ground system and electrical ground will be tied together. At the
corner of the house closest to the antenna SPG, I plan to extend/retract coaxes
and control lines from the house to that antenna SPG. So my QUESTION: Should
the ground wire connecting the station/house system to the antenna SPG also be
disconnected during storms (like the coax and other lines)?
While researching, found this goverment PDF. While not directed at RF (rather
power circuits), it has a lot of info on copper/aluminum/etc., issues of
bonding dissimilar metals together, and touches on some points your guys are
making. Found it while looking up info on Pentrox.
http://www.usbr.gov/power/data/fist/fist3_3/vol3-3.pdf
Steve, W5KI
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