[Towertalk] grounding system

[Bill Hider (N3RR)]

Hey Guys - It's not true.  Any of the below comments forwarded (">" and
">>") with this message.

There is so much wrong with the below forwarded comments (">" and   ">>")
that I do not have the time to type it all in here.  Here's a short
response:
1.  Engineer your station to  *keep the lightning out*.
2.  High floor hamshack locations need to have their SPG lightning
protection at a ground level entry-point.  From there, run your coax/control
cables inside.
3.  Check out the appropriate design/photos/discussion on my website
www.erols.com/n3rr
4.  Read the PolyPhaser book(s)
5.  Read other lightning protection books.

With a properly designed and implemented grounding system, lightning will
*ignore* your premises as the storm progresses through your neighborhood and
*around* your properly grounded tower/feedlines/SPG, QTH, etc.

It happens all the time in my location, as it does in many hams locations
(the storm splitting and going around properly grounded towers and QTHs).

That's how you protect from a direct hit - you don't allow any build-up of
static and hence, no arc-over (lightning).

I don't have time now for reply comments - I'm headed out of town for the
week.
Doubters, do a bit more research on the subject.  How do commercial radio
stations stay on the air 24/7 with all of their equipment connected.

BTW, as I have said before here, I keep my IC-781, IC-4KL, 4 Packet radios,
6 rotor control boxes, 2 ham PCs, phone lines, modems, and 5 other PCs in my
house connected at all times.  Never had a hit that affected me (direct or
otherwise) - except once when I removed the equipment grounds on my rotor
control boxes briefly and had to replace a diode in each after a storm.

Think about it.

Bill, N3RR

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ford Peterson" <ford@cmgate.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2002 5:46 PM
Subject: Re: [Towertalk] grounding system


> Glenn writes:
>
> > Any ground length over five feet from equipment to ground rod is almost
> > useless for protection from a close lightning strike.  It is fine for a
> > electrical safety ground, but too much voltage will be imposed on the
> > equipment for the equipment to survive fro a close strike.
> >
> > Hope that this helps.
> >
> > 73
> > Glenn
> > WB4UIV
>
> Watching and learning from this thread, I'm beginning to think I should be
> operating from a metal dog house with a ring of ground rods directly at
the
> station equipment (sarcastic).  I've got about 6' of ground buss running
> behind the operating position.  Total distance to the rod is about 6'-7'.
I
> fail to see how it can get any better than this, short of the metal dog
> house approach.
>
> I think what all respondants to this thread are saying is that if you get
a
> close strike, you are TOAST!  Trying to engineer for a direct hit is
> impossible with the light gauge metals and structures that are quite
flimsy
> when compared to a bridge or a sky-scraper.
>
> How about some practical advice for the 90% of hams that cannot possibly
> engineer a perfect solution.  A second floor shack is TOAST.  What should
> this guy do to protect his family and possessions?  Forget the radio!  I'd
> expect a sensitive piece of equipment to fry in the presence of a million
> volts at a million amps.  I would rather have that insured equipment
> completely melt down and fry while shunting most of the strike to ground
> rather than burn 100% of my worldly possessions.
>
> Ford-N0FP
> ford@cmgate.com
>
>
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