[TenTec] If you ground it - it will come!

[Larry DiGioia]

I personally believe not in disconnection, but moving antenna connectors 
to a good ground system. I use the multiple grounding blocks (#CQ857) 
and quick disconnects from The Wireman.

That is not to ignore the fact that there is a spark gap at the base of 
my Hy-Tower, Polyphaser protectors at the building entrances for all 
coax, and spark plug arrestors (#CQ878) at the entrances on all my 
ladderlines... However, I think that, contrary to popular belief, a 
grounded antenna is LESS likely to take a direct hit, as it allows it to 
"bleed off" charges in the air before they become huge.

Stuart Rohre wrote:

>Lynn makes a good point.  Our club station helper grounded every rig 
>negative and every chassis to earth bus.  Of course there was coax to the 
>VHF/UHF rig.  The lightning surge came down the shield of the coax from the 
>tower, into the radio on coax connector and back to AC ground thru the DC 
>negative copper of the circuit board, (until that vaporized).  We had 
>created a ground loop.  In this particular hit, the AC ground looked lower 
>impedance than the bronze strap bus,and its connection to cold water pipe 
>just outside the wall.  (2 foot of braid to it).
>
>How you treat grounds can be a damaging situation.
>
>Total disconnection of the coaxes at entry to building when not in use would 
>have make a bigger spark gap for the current to cross than the circuit board 
>did.
>
>We had survived a direct hit on the power pole 100 feet across the parking 
>lot some years before.  The 65 foot tower usually discharges the 
>surroundings to its earth rods.
>
>Stuart
>K5KVH 
>
>
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-- 
Larry  N8KU

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