[Amps] Dedicated 220AC Wiring for Amps..
Gary Schafer
garyschafer at comcast.net
Fri Oct 14 18:13:27 EDT 2005
Hi Kirby,
I don't mean to sound harsh but I kind of get tired of some of the old wives
tales that are promoted about grounding.
When I said "Now with your ground wire cut how do you think you are going to
keep the lightning out of the house when it comes in on all those coax
lines?" I didn't mean to imply that that single ground line to the power
ground was expected to solve the whole problem. My main point was that you
still have the coax lines and other lines coming in from the tower that can
carry the lightning energy and that You needed to do something with that.
The first place you could start is to look at some of the articles on the
polyphaser web site. They also sell an excellent book "grounds for lightning
protection".
What you need is a single point ground system at your shack.
You also need a better ground system at your shack. One ground rod there is
not nearly enough. You need several radials with ground rods on them.
Your single point ground needs to be located within a few feet of the single
point ground system where all your cables, power cables, phone lines etc get
tied together.
I am not sure just how the ground rod connections are made that you now
have. How long are the leads to the ground rods? Does each rod get connected
directly to a leg of the tower?
The coax should go to the bottom of the tower and be grounded there to the
tower.
Your ground at the power panel is probably not sufficient either. More
ground rods and radials may be required there too.
Surge protectors on coax lines, power lines?
73
Gary K4FMX
> -----Original Message-----
> From: amps-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:amps-bounces at contesting.com] On
> Behalf Of K Van Horn
> Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 1:25 PM
> To: amps at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [Amps] Dedicated 220AC Wiring for Amps..
>
> Greetings,
>
> I forgot to mention that the tower had 9 ground rods properly installed.
> Six
> were below ground level attached to the tower base under and around the
> slab, and 3 were installed around the base of the tower and
> interconnected.
>
> I have not had a problem in the 15 years since I cut the ground system
> interlink!
>
> I ALWAYS DO physically disconnect all power lines and antenna lines when
> I
> am not using the radio to which they were attached!!
>
> After having repaired several thousand radios that have had the front
> ends(and often more) blown out of them by lightning or static (when the
> owners said "I had turned the coax switch to the ground position so the
> antenna was disconnected" ) I figured out that they were incorrect if they
> did not unscrew the coax from their radios and physically unplug them from
> the power lines!
>
> Now as for one less TV set, I had already spent over $10,000 on the tower
> and installation(and it was ALL properly done with ground rods ETC.), I
> really don't think that $700 would have made any difference as long as
> everything was tied together on a common ground system. The soil in
> Houston
> is a very sandy soil, and the water table is only down about 5 or six
> feet,
> so all of the 11 ground rods(9 tower, 1 shack, and 1 electrical service)
> were down into the water table. I don't know how to do it any more
> properly
> than that, so I wait with bated breath for any suggestions about how to
> install a more PROPER ground system!
>
> The bolt cutters SOLVED the problem!!
>
> Kirby, K7EC
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gary Schafer" <garyschafer at comcast.net>
> To: "'K Van Horn'" <k7ec at sbcglobal.net>; <amps at contesting.com>
> Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 9:10 PM
> Subject: RE: [Amps] Dedicated 220AC Wiring for Amps..
>
>
> > If you had bought one less TV set and spent that money on a few ground
> > rods
> > and PROPERLY installed the ground system you would not have that
> problem.
> >
> > Now with your ground wire cut how do you think you are going to keep the
> > lightning out of the house when it comes in on all those coax lines?
> >
> > Moral of story: If you can't afford to install a proper ground then
> don't
> > install a tower!!
> >
> > 73
> > Gary K4FMX
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: amps-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:amps-bounces at contesting.com]
> On
> > Behalf Of K Van Horn
> > Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 8:56 PM
> > To: amps at contesting.com
> > Subject: [Amps] Dedicated 220AC Wiring for Amps..
> >
> >
> >
> >> Hi Guys,
> >>
> >> Sorry,I can't resist commenting on this one!
> >>
> >> While it is THEORETICALLY a great idea to connect ALL ground rods to
> the
> >> main grounding system, in PRACTICAL terms, it can be a REAL DISASTER!
> >>
> >> In theory, lets say that your tower is connected to your main ground
> >> system (AS REQUIRED by CODE)and it takes a lightning strike. Now, so
> long
> >> as your theoretical ground is PERFECT, everything is just wonderful..ie
> >> the 100000+ volts at 10000+ amps you just put on EVERY electrical
> device
> >> at your home through the electrical ground system (yeah, this is the
> one
> >> on every wall outlet) is dissipated instantaneously, there will be ZERO
> >> damage!!!!!
> >>
> >> However, I personally know of NO ONE who posses the perfect ground
> >> system!!!
> >>
> >> So where do you think that the 100000+ volts at 10000+ amps is going to
> >> go
> >
> >> now that YOUR ground system has been charged to 100000+ volts?
> >>
> >> Humor me!! Let me tell you.
> >>
> >> It is going to DESTROY EVERY ELECTRICAL DEVICE THAT IS PLUGGED INTO A
> >> WALL
> >
> >> SOCKET or OTHERWISE CONNECTED TO YOUR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM(AIR
> CONDITIONERS,
> >> GARAGE DOOR OPENERS, etc) during the 15 or 20 MILLISECONDS that it
> takes
> >> to bleed down through the imperfect ground system at your now
> >> electrically
> >
> >> dead home.
> >>
> >> I can not tell anyone what a pain it is to have to come up with
> receipts
> >> for every electrical device at your location (these ARE required by
> your
> >> Homeowners Insurance to be paid for the damage). Let me give you an
> idea
> >> of what I am talking about in terms of damage.
> >>
> >> Air Conditioner Unit - $2500 ( This is a really bad one here in
> Houston,
> >> cause it gets really hot, really fast, and my XYL HATES the heat and
> >> blames it all on that Damn Ham Radio Tower that the neighbors
> >> hate)
> >> Refrigerator - $1100
> >> Amplifier - $8000
> >> Dish Washer - $600
> >> HF Ham Radio -$2500
> >> VHF Base Station - $1000
> >> 3 TV SETS - $3000
> >> 2 Computers - $4000
> >> 2 Printers - $500
> >> Garage Door Opener - $225
> >> Rotator - $650
> >> Every Clock Radio - $200
> >> Stove Clock - $50
> >>
> >> I won't boor you with any more specifics, but remember that your
> >> insurance
> >
> >> company is going to screw you around for 3-4 months just because they
> >> can,
> >
> >> and time is money!
> >>
> >> So figure it out (even I did after the SECOND time it happened)!
> >>
> >> Oh, I forgot to mention that my homeowners premium went up 50% after
> each
> >> hit was settled.
> >>
> >> I got out my bolt cutters and solved the problem!!
> >>
> >> I do not meet code anymore, but nothing in the house has been destroyed
> >> by
> >
> >> Lightning coming in on the ground system ever since!!
> >>
> >> Make the right decision for YOU!!
> >>
> >> 73 es Gud DX,
> >>
> >> Kirby, K7EC
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >
> >> To: <amps at contesting.com>
> >> Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 8:04 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [Amps] Dedicated 220AC Wiring for Amps..
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> On Oct 13, 2005, at 2:58 PM, G0RUZ Conrad wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Gudguyham at aol.com wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> As per the NEC, ALL ground rods must be connected to the main
> >>>>> grounding system at the electrical disconnecting means. THIS
> >>>>> IS CODE!
> >>>>>
> >>
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
>
>
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