[Towertalk] Proper way to ground open-wire feeders

[EUGENE SMAR]

Tony:

     My votes/comments below.

73 es GL de
Gene Smar  AD3F

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Casciato, AI9X <ai9x@arrl.net>
To: towertalk@contesting.com <towertalk@contesting.com>
Cc: smc@qth.com <smc@qth.com>
Date: Saturday, August 03, 2002 12:23 AM
Subject: [Towertalk] Proper way to ground open-wire feeders


>
>Options:
>1) Manually disconnect outside the basement window, then connect both wires
>to a ground rod about 4' away.

Best idea, but a PITA.

>2) Leave connected all the time, since the tuner's balun is grounding the
>line to the house ground.

Violates the first rule of lightning protection:  Keep lightning out of the
house.  The lightning stroke will probably vaporize the balun and jump to
nearby objects within the shack.

>3) Leave connected, but put some sort of ICE or spark-gap device outside
>connected to ground rod.

Getting better.  You're attempting to shunt the energy to ground BEFORE it
wipes its feet on your welcome mat inside the house.

>4) Replace the 30' high doublet with better antennas (Sigma vertical
clones)
>and use coax.

Same problems with coax - need a protector outside.  Also, you're
surrendering to the problem.

>5) Go back to the knife switch and cold-water pipe ground inside.

See First Rule of lightning protection, above - keep energy OUTSIDE the
house.
>

>73,
>Tony, AI9X
>
>
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