[TowerTalk] Length of Mast

[Pete Smith]

At 03:28 PM 6/1/03 -0500, Jim Rhodes wrote:
>ears ago I heard W0UN's presentation at Dayton where he claimed that when 
>a thunderstorm would move over his multi-tower setup in Colorado that the 
>lightning would actually stop until the storm front would move beyond the 
>antenna farm. The towers were heavily grounded as I recall, but I don't 
>remember what else he did for lightning protection. I don't think he left 
>much undone on that front. This would support the theory of lightning rods 
>to prevent lightning strikes. And that is what I learned years ago in a 
>college meteorology class.


I, too, remembered that from W0UN, whose engineering expertise I respect 
mightily.  Yet the Polyphaser people go to great lengths in the "Grounds" 
book to challenge the idea that anything can deter a lightning strike; in 
their book (sic), the only thing you can do is to properly manage the 
strike energy to avoid damage.  What to believe???

73, Pete N4ZR
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