I've been fighting the urge to wade in on this thread since
its inception. Must be the low pressure warm front/rain making
me do it. Not to mention the rumbling going on outside...
OK...there are experts out there. Polyphaser is good. There's
another one whose name escapes me at the moment...maybe I.C.E...
And there are videos and white papers available for purchase, at
maybe 75 bucks apiece. The last time this thread came up, someone
here directed us there....
It IS true that lighting is unpredictable. It is also true that
having more points for corona to be generated will help bleed off
charge in the ground-cloud circuit. However, it is ALSO true that
a fast moving cloud can result in voltage rise which is faster than
the ability of the dissipation system to handle. When that happens,
you're more likely to get hit than you were without the multi-point
device.
So, you pays yer money 'n takes yer chances.
There are reports from trained observers...amateurs with multi-tower
installations...who have observed storms with frequent cloud to ground
lightning, where that lightning ceased when near the antenna field, and
resumed after passing it. So, I am inclined to believe that a well grounded
tower system, with or without pointy things, will tend to reduce the
resistance in the cloud to ground circuit.
THAT said, there remains the question of best-practice grounding techniques.
I argue that best practices are well established. There should be no
debate.
Read the literature. Buy the available commercial products. Do it right.
Listen to the experts, not the opinionated.
To reiterate one essential: single point ground is mandatory. Moving telco
to the other end of the house is courting disaster.
N2EA
jimjarvis@ieee.org
_______________________________________________
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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