[TenTec] Grounding question

[Vern Kunes]

Sorry about the "braid". I did mean straps. Sometimes I put my mouth in gear
before my brain.  Vern
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eric F. Richards" <efricha at dimensional.com>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 3:49 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Grounding question


> At 03:12 PM 8/12/2003 -0400, you wrote:
> >Grounding is not to attract lightning, but to take away the static charge
> >that accumulates on antenna, etc. It is the accumulated stateic charge
that
> >actually attracts lightning.
>
> Close enuff... It's a charge differential that attracts lightning.
> The stepped leader builds the ionized channel for the initial visible
> lightning discharges in approximately 150 foot steps.  Think on that
> a minute... if your tower is, say, 400 feet away from your shack, the
> probability of a strike on a tower is more-or-less independent of one
> on your house.
>
> (That still doesn't deal with the bonding issue, because the ground
> differential will be hellacious if you don't.)
>
>
>
> >  Disconnect coaxes (I use a coax switch with a
> >disconnecting, grounded position for this purpose), but don't worry about
> >your ground attracting lightning.
>
> I've never had to disconnect coaxes but if you do you want to cap your
> connectors with shorting caps or use a grounding switch... I trust the
> quality gas tubes I use more than I trust my memory to handle the
> switch.
>
>
> >Use flat grounding braid for your grounds.
>
> Woah, braid will explosively disintegrate during a strike.  You wan't
> strap.
>
> >Hope I don't get flamed too badly for this post. Cheers.  Vern  N2YZS
>
> Hope I didn't disappoint. :-)
>
> 73,
> Eric, KB0YDN
>
>
> -- 
> Eric F. Richards
> efricha at dimensional.com
> "The weird part is that I can feel productive even when I'm doomed."
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>