[Towertalk] Newbie Question!!!

[Mark]

This lightning thing.. ya folks gotta remember, not all us hams live in the
`lectric circle ... I don't, and I don't even consider lightning in my
antenna situations here in Far Northern Coastal California .. Not to say we
don't get any, but really not of concern aerial wise .. Now, when I lived in
the Washington DC area .. ahhhhhhhhhhhhh ...  Not sure about my 2 year stint
in KL7 .. I was too bizzy when up there to take any special precautions, and
never had a prob....  73, Mark  AA6DX

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jon Ogden" <na9d@speakeasy.net>
To: "Roger Borowski" <K9RB@bellsouth.net>; "z-TowerTalk"
<towertalk@contesting.com>; <bltlawrence12@att.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 9:27 PM
Subject: Re: [Towertalk] Newbie Question!!!


> I'll agree that grounding on a roof tower is much more difficult and
> structurally, there's some work that must be paid attention too.  But that
> structural work is not any more difficult than building a rebar cage for a
> free standing tower.
>
> The grounding is more difficult, but you can do pretty well by running
> several ground straps from the tower to ground.  Not ideal, no but good
> enough - likely.  A lot of guys have their towers right next to their
> houses.  Either on the house or beside it, there's not going to be much
> difference in a direct strike.
>
> And finally, a roof tower, really doesn't have to go that far about the
> roof.  If one's house is 30 feet at the peak, then a 34 foot tower as in
> this guy's case will put the antennas about 4 feet above the roof line.
You
> can do the same with the smallest of the Glenn Martin roof towers.  Most
> people have TV antennas higher on their roofs than what you could end up
> with a ham antenna.  And generally the TV antennas have crap for ESD
> protection.
>
> Yes, there are tradeoffs and common sense must be used.
>
> 73,
>
> Jon
> NA9D
>
>