[TowerTalk] Lightning

[Craig Clark]

        I have always been a believer of disconnecting everything (rotor
wires, coax and other control lines) where they enter the house.

        Over the past few weeks, we have had several abnormally severe
FROPAs here in NH. On MOnday, I was on the screen porch looking for leaks in
the roof when lightning struck in the front yard...yes I had to
change......crackle, flashboom! Boy does that get the heart to race. No
damage done from that one.

        Later, another large cell came by. I was working here in the shack
where the bulhead to the exterior is. When, "SNAP," the coax from one of my
antennas arced to ground from another lightning stike (induced voltage.)
Charred the wooden window frame too. (Had one storm years ago that blew a
chunk out of a double barrel UHF connector!)

        So, to keep everything at ground, I have now grounded all incoming
coax connectors; shield to coqax center pin to ground wire. 

        While this will not prevent damage from a direct strike, will the
additional grounding (of two DC-ground antennas) help reduce the risk of any
additional problems?

73 Craig

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			Craig Clark, W1JCC
	            ex NX1G, N1ACH, WA1QWW, WN1IGG

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