[TenTec] Lightning protection

Thu May 15 00:23:37 EDT 2014

No probably not but many of the principals can be scaled down as long as the basic rules are not ignored.

And you are right it's relatively expensive and it won't work you any more DX for the money spent....but...like at my home....it didn't take but one lightning strike on the tower where the energy ran through the shack blowing up everything then running to the house and damaging entertainment electronics, phones, appliances and wiring in the walls....before the wife says....it's got to go.  Referring to the tower.  And it did for 10 or so years.  When it went back up a grounding plan had to be a part of the installation to sink off the lightning energy or she wasn't going to let it go up.  There are probably 25 or 30 10' ground rods and 350' of 1/0 stranded bare wire cad welded and buried in the scheme tying the electrical safety grounds of the house, shop, tower together so it will all rise at the same potential so current won't flow between them.  So far probably 6 summer seasons have passed with witnessed strikes to the tower each year and all I have lost was one temperature controlled soldering station....and I have yet to figure out how that happened.  A lot of work and a fair expense but I'm still able to play radio...so it was worth it.

There's a lot more to it than what I have mentioned...like lots of I.C.E. Protectors, ground kits on coax, and on and on...

I might have spent $600-$800 on materials but it's permanent and will protect things for years...

Cecil
K5DL

Sent from my iPad

> On May 14, 2014, at 8:08 PM, "Bob McGraw - K4TAX" <RMcGraw at Blomand.net> wrote:
> 
> Do you believe any ham will go to that level or can afford to do so.  There are less expensive methods that work equally well if and only if done correctly.
> 
> 73
> Bob,  K4TAX
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Clayton Brantley via TenTec" <tentec at contesting.com>
> To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec at contesting.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 7:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Lightning protection
> 
> 
> Cecil, I have to agree with you on this. I did a 7 channel trunking system for our plant in Oak Ridge, TN
> and we had copper sheet on the floor of the shack, a halo loop made from 1" copper pipe around the
> ceiling with copper strap bonding to the floor and 4/0 copper wire thru each corner of the building to the
> ground mat out side. A 1/4 inch copper "window" for all cables to enter/leave the shack.
> 
> 
> Needless to say, we ran 24/7 without any problems.
> 
> Clayton N4EV
> 
> 
> On Wednesday, May 14, 2014 8:34 PM, Bob McGraw - K4TAX <RMcGraw at Blomand.net> wrote:
> 
> Cecil:
> 
> I don't have a problem with your concept as long as the outside work is done
> first and correct. That says the outside system must be bonded to the AC
> mains.
> 
> Failure to do this will then tie the outside system to the equipment inside
> which is connected to the AC mains. Thus the path of destruction is through
> the radio equipment, regardless if it is ON or OFF, antenna connected or
> disconnected.
> 
> 73
> Bob, K4TAX
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cecil" <chacuff at cableone.net>
> To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec at contesting.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 7:20 PM
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Lightning protection
> 
> 
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPad
>> 
>>> On May 14, 2014, at 6:38 PM, "Bob McGraw - K4TAX" <RMcGraw at Blomand.net>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Ground?   Someone said use one for lightning protection. Why? All
>>> lightning protection should be OUTSIDE of the house and never inside. I
>>> operate from the 2nd floor of the house. No ground from the station to
>>> the outside is ever.
>> 
>>> 73
>>> Bob, K4TAX
>> I like you Bob......
>> 
>> But we will never agree on that one....
>> 
>> Too many documents and industry standards say and do otherwise....
>> 
>> First line of defense is definitely outside but not continuing that
>> protection to a shack central point ground system with all equipment
>> bonded too it and the building electrical safety ground system is only
>> doing half the job...
>> 
>> It's the system design used in every Cellular/PCS/SCADA/Public Safety
>> radio system out there....systems that have to run 24/7 lightning or not,
>> all usually with 200'+ tower heights.
>> 
>> I'm sure Jim will hammer me next.....
>> 
>> Sorry guys...it's my training and vocation...building and maintaining
>> these systems....why wouldn't one carry that philosophy as much as is
>> practical into our stations...I have with excellent results. My tower
>> gets popped a couple times a year and no damage to anything.
>> 
>> Of course this has nothing to do with the Eagle RFI problem...but I felt
>> compelled to comment. (Changed the title so as to not hijack the thread)
>> 
>> Dead horse ....I know...
>> 
>> Cecil
>> K5DL
>> 
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