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[TowerTalk] Concrete Base Installation Help

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Subject: [TowerTalk] Concrete Base Installation Help
From: amcastmis@earthlink.net (Jim)
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 08:06:54 -0700
Sounds like I opened a can of worms.  I questioned the validity of what I was
told too but I figured if they're right, I'd feel pretty stupid if I took a hit
and it did fall.  Personally, if I did take a direct hit of lightning, I'll
probably have much bigger problems to deal with than my 40' tower coming down.
Might even help to put out the resulting house fire from the hit!  HiHi.
Besides, the tower is connected to bolts that go down into the concrete so I
guess I fail to see much difference there, other than the fact that the bolts
and rebar never make a direct connection to ground.  Also, lightning is pretty
rare in my little part of the country so I'll leave it to you guys in Thunder
Alley to figure out.  I too would be interested in some documented cases.  After
all, this probably isn't my last installation.

73's
Good DX
Jim
WB6YAW

Brian Smithson wrote:

> > -----Original Message-----
> > >At 03:50 PM 8/25/98 -0700, you wrote:
> >> lightening strike would cause the concrete to explode
> > Doesn't Polyphaser recommend tying the tower, the rebar, and the ground
> > busses all together *before* the concrete is poured, emphasizing shortest,
> > straightest path from the tower to the ground field, to keep inductance in
> > the ground path to a minimum? I've got to find the book... It's up here
> > someplace in the mess...
>
> Yes they do, and that's what I plan to do on my upcoming installation.
> I'm going to bond the rebar together to a ground line going out the side
> of the hole to rods in the 'traditional' triangle pattern to start the
> radials.
> I'm going to have another set of lines from the same rods to the legs of
> the tower above the concrete with the appropriate clamps.
>
> Hopefully I won't have a story to tell!
>
> 73, brian n8wrl
>
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