[CQ-Contest] spider balls

[Charles Morrison]

Sorry David, previous hits have wiped entire stations numerous times prior
to installation, on the persons who have the balls. However to the best of
their knowledge none have taken one since, and their opinion remains that
the balls over time due to discharge, tend to melt.  I can send you the
email addresses of the local hams who have them here in Lafayette that will
confirm these assertions.

Charlie
KI5XP

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	k1ttt at arrl.net [mailto:k1ttt at arrl.net]
Sent:	Thursday, July 29, 2004 6:07 AM
To:	cfmorris at bellsouth.net
Cc:	cq-contest at contesting.com; ah3c at frii.com
Subject:	RE: [CQ-Contest] spider balls

static and corona do not make 'metal glob's.  at worst the corona will
create ozone which can cause accelerated rusting or corrosion/pitting of
metals.  globs are formed by heat, as in lightning strikes.

> Pete,
>
> Here in Louisiana, N5AN, N5MEG, and NG5X all have them on their towers and
> swear by them, 100%.  Roy says that he was hit over 10 times prior to
> installing them (highest structure, manmade or natural) for some distance
> and hasn't taken a strike since.  Scott N5MEG worked for a tower company
> and
> swears by them.  He's installed his at the top most part of the tower,
> letting the mast pipe stick up way above the yagi.  He then runs heavy
> gauge
> "welding wire" all the way to ground from them.  Says he hasn't taken a
> strike since.   He also noted SEVERE damage to them after a good period of
> time being up.  Not from a direct hit, but from the constant dissipation
> of
> the charges.  Each finger in the ball was rounded at the end with a metal
> glob of itself.  Sounds to me like there's a good bit of static coming
> from
> it.
>
> Charlie
> KI5XP
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 18:46:50 -0600
> From: "Grillo's" <ah3c at frii.com>
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] spider balls
> To: "Towertalk Reflector" <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Cc: CQ Contest <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> Message-ID: <007401c4743c$5e863510$0a01a8c0 at OFFICEPC>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Since we are on the subject of lightning, has anyone ever used "spider
> balls" to dissipate energy thereby eliminating strikes on the structure?
> These are a steel rod with over 200 fine spiked elements about 2 ft. long
> each that create a cluster of very sharp spikes.
>
> Can you visualize this?  I have three spider balls and am considering
> installing one each about 40 feet up from the guy anchors on the steel
> guys
> that would be connected to the anchor rods.  The balance of the guy lines
> up
> to the top of the 120' tower are polyphaser cable, so are insulated.  I
> would install three copper ground grids at each guy point and link them
> together with underground copper cable.
>
> The other thought is to mount them on top of the 120' tower and put one
> ground grid under the tower.
>
> I'm looking for alternatives before the concrete gets poured in 2
> weeks....
>
> Pete
> W0RTT
>
>
>
>
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