[TowerTalk] lightning visits
Natan Huffman
force12e@lightlink.com
Mon, 7 Sep 1998 15:33:18 -0400
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Hello all,
=20
Been reading the thread on lightning hits and thought a few comments as =
to what works for me might be again appropriate. What follows is only =
what works for me, or maybe I am just incredibly lucky. =20
=20
The QTH here is on a hilltop and looks down on most everything. Two =
towers are installed along with a 160 vertical. Early this morning =
fierce storm roared through, and after another direct hit on the Rohn =
tower and wind gusts that vibrated the house, my wife decided to QSY to =
the basement. Foolishly I chose to stay in the second floor bedroom and =
check out THE WEATHER CHANNEL. No warnings, so decided to just go back =
to sleep. This morning another storm, and the Rohn tower takes another =
direct hit which is number four this year. Checked out the news and =
find out two fatalities were caused by a tornado type affair north of =
here........guess Nancy was right about going to the basement. The wind =
was registered at 87 mph, so we did not get the worst of it.
=20
Now, what is significant about all of this , is that after four direct =
hits this season, no damage at all. I consider this fact remarkable, or =
it may be just luck. Each tower and the 160 vertical have a minimum of =
four twelve foot ground rods at the base. All these rods are tied =
together with very large wire and then affixed securely to the towers at =
three places. A large bus cable, courtesy of the power company ties the =
towers and the vertical together. This bus wire then continues 300 feet =
to a wetland in the corner of the property. Every 15' along the length =
of the bus wire a 12' ground rod is placed and connected and follows =
until the end of the bus wire which is under water at this time.
=20
The control wires and coax enter the house through a Polyphaser entrance =
panel, which is of course grounded.
=20
After four years and six known direct hits.....no damage. Like I said, =
it does seem to work.
=20
73,
=20
Natan W6XR/2
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http-equiv=3DContent-Type><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 =
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" size=3D2>Hello =
all,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" size=3D2>Been =
reading the thread=20
on lightning hits and thought a few comments as to what works for me =
might be=20
again appropriate. What follows is only what works for me, or =
maybe I am=20
just incredibly lucky. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" size=3D2>The QTH =
here is on a=20
hilltop and looks down on most everything. Two towers are =
installed along=20
with a 160 vertical. Early this morning fierce storm roared =
through, and=20
after another direct hit on the Rohn tower and wind gusts that vibrated =
the=20
house, my wife decided to QSY to the basement. Foolishly I chose =
to stay=20
in the second floor bedroom and check out THE WEATHER CHANNEL. No=20
warnings, so decided to just go back to sleep. This morning =
another storm,=20
and the Rohn tower takes another direct hit which is number four this=20
year. Checked out the news and find out two fatalities were caused =
by a=20
<FONT color=3D#000000>tornado </FONT>type affair north of =
here........guess Nancy=20
was right about going to the basement. The wind was registered at =
87 mph,=20
so we did not get the worst of it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" size=3D2>Now, what =
is significant=20
about all of this , is that after four direct hits this season, no =
damage at=20
all. I consider this fact remarkable, or it may be just =
luck. Each=20
tower and the 160 vertical have a minimum of four twelve foot =
ground rods=20
at the base. All these rods are tied together with very large wire =
and=20
then affixed securely to the towers at three places. A large bus =
cable,=20
courtesy of the power company ties the towers and the vertical =
together. =20
This bus wire then continues 300 feet to a wetland in the corner of the=20
property. Every 15' along the length of the bus wire a 12' ground =
rod is=20
placed and connected and follows until the end of the bus wire which is =
under=20
water at this time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" size=3D2>The <FONT=20
color=3D#000000>control </FONT>wires and coax enter the house through a =
Polyphaser=20
entrance panel, which is of course grounded.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" size=3D2>After four =
years and six=20
known direct hits.....no damage. Like I said, it does seem =
to=20
work.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" =
size=3D2>73,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Albertus Medium" size=3D2>Natan=20
W6XR/2</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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