Julio Peralta wrote:
> I live in Florida 10 miles from what is considered the centered of the place
> in North America where the most lighting occurs. I've had a 4 elem Steppir
> up for 4 plus years with no problems. I also follow the Steppir e-mail list
> and while I've heard of a few control boxes being damaged by lighting I
> don't recall hearing of motors being damaged by lighting. I think the
> concern of lighting damage to the motors IN THE AIR is much over rated.
>
And I live in Michigan where lightning is not normally considered a big
problem BUT my tower has been up less than 10 years. Until the last
three it was struck 3 times a year that was visually verified. IOW, some
one saw it take the hit. But 2 and 3 years ago were "hitless" summers
and it only took two hits last summer. I have no idea as to how many
times it's actually taken hits. Prior to installing the current tower
system I had the local repeater out here and that thing was taking
damage on a relatively regular basis.
Since putting in the elaborate ground system with a single point ground
I've taken no damage from 15 direct strikes to the tower and antennas.
Our first night in this house with lightning striking all around us for
a good portion of the night. It just seems almost constant and many of
the hits were within a city block from us. I'd never seen such
localized lightning performance.
Yet this is one location and regardless of the hits the tower has taken
it's still anecdotal. That tower has probably taken more hits in the
last decade than all of the ham towers in the county combined over the
last 30 or 40 years.
I don't think in the terms of "motors up there" but the overall system.
I think the SteppIRs are great antennas, but I have enough trouble with
monobanders and storms, let alone the idea of something with moving
parts, or electronics up there. However I might consider one on a 40-50
tower at the end of the shop. I just wouldn't want it to be my only
antenna.
73
Roger (K8RI)
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