[TowerTalk] Re: Ground Rods & Ohms

[Bill Hider]

Joe E. Mesh wrote:
> 
> >>  I was hit by
> lightning - a direct hit on the tower -  the following resulted: <<
> 
> Me too!   It woke us up out of bed in a hurry!   Loudest thing that I
> have ever heard!
> 
> I have extensive grounding and a total of 20 eight foot rods (to date)
> all exothermically soldered to 3 inch copper or 00 stranded depending on
> the application.  The shack has a ground halo and entry through a
> Microflect bulkhead behind which solid copper 2X1/4" bars rest as
> mounting plates for the Polyphasers on each transmission line.   Lines
> all go to a patch panel for quick disconnect and easy switching.
> 
> Everything was hooked up!   I had disconnected nothing.   I had no idea
> about the storm.
> 
> Damage report:
> 
> 2 garage door receivers fried. I repaired them with new MOVs and new
> front end transistors.
> 
> A drive sensor fried.   MOVs only problem.
> 
> A video camera modulator fried. Hopeless.... ( it was outside of the
> halo.
> 
> Switching circuit for a 4-square fried.   MOVs.  (I hope that is all --
> it is too muddy to get out there yet!)
> 
> Entry logic fried.  Some Cmos devices were replaced to fix.
> 
> 2-way X-10 sender/receiver fried.   Hopeless....
> 
> Pole mounted transformer (from the grid) blew it's drop fuse. New fuse
> on a pogo stick fixed it.  (Edison did it not me!)
> 
> BUT....   All the radios and everything in the shack is just fine!!!!
> Computers, modems the whole thing is fine....
> 
> W8SS....
> 
> --
> Thanks....Joe E. Mesh, D.M.D.,C.A.G.S.(Prosthodontics)
> from Beautiful Downtown HELL, Michigan USA
> 04/16/97      22:09
> _______________________________________
> Always available at:
>    jm@drsmesh.com  -or-  W8SS@drsmesh.com
>    Please visit our Web Page at:
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This is exactly what some of us have been saying for a long time.  If
you have your lightning protection subsystem engineered properly, you
WILL be protected.  Most hams just don't understand what it takes to
"stay on the air".  If you want to be protected, and sleep at night,
follow the specifications, do what Joe did.  Don't guess at it.

Bill, N3RR

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