[TenTec] OT: Lightning and Grounds

[John Rippey]

K4TAX wrote:

"George, I do hope you have those driven grounds bonded to the AC mains
ground and all other driven grounds around the property.  Failure to do so
will produce a step voltage between two different ground during a near-by
lightning strike.  Equipment connected between the two different grounds
will then share the current flowing between the two different grounds.  The
result is that one can observe extensive equipment damage or worse."

1. I've often wondered what would happend with a lightning strike nearby 
and everything connected together (as at my QTH): coax feed line ground 
block; phone; AC main; AC outlet strip for radios; radios' bus bar ground. 
This may be dumb, but why would not the electrical charge from lightning 
come bounding into the shack via the common grounds? Disconnecting the 
antenna leads at the radios does not seem to be a protection since the 
radios' grounds are common with the outside grounds.

2. The local power company told me a couple of years ago that the code 
around here anyway no longer requires installation of a ground rod at the 
Main for a new house. What gives here?

73,
John, W3ULS