[TowerTalk] Lightning solution

[Tom Rauch]

> Date:          Wed, 03 Jun 1998 13:15:43 +0000
> From:          Barry Kutner <w2up@itw.com>
> Subject:       [TowerTalk] Lightning solution
> To:            towertalk@contesting.com
> Reply-to:      w2up@itw.com

> There have been some interesting theories proposed lately, such as 
> leaving your tower and antennas ungrounded so as not to attract 
> lightning. Here's a better one, follow my logic...

Grounded or ungrounded, it makes no difference for the "attraction".

Nice logical theorem snipped out, love the plastic wrap idea. My 
neighbor uses a jug of saltwater filled with pennies for an equipment 
ground, and sticks his cables in a foil wrapped jar. He says it works 
because his 40 foot tower in the middle of the 90 foot tall trees 
has NEVER been hit.    

> P.S. Good luck - you will need it as much as if you leave your 
> tower ungrounded, and the charge has to find its own path to 
> ground.

That indeed is a problem.

In my case, I don't worry much because both of my very tall towers 
up on this ridge in the open pastures ARE grounded quite well 
(through a small spark gap at each leg end). When I pull the feedline 
and control connections OUTSIDE the house, I just add additional 
assurance lightning is LESS likely to follow the cables into the 
house, or lightning that hits the power lines is less likely to go 
through the house to the massive tower ground.

73, Tom W8JI
w8ji.tom@MCIONE.com

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