[TowerTalk] Shack ground disconnect?

[Rob Atkinson, K5UJ]

With spring around the corner (in the northern hemisphere), the thoughts of 
[mentally] young hams turn to lightning.  Two schools of thought on this:  
the professional Polyphasor type method (single point gnd.; perimeter gnd.; 
etc.) and the "Disconnect everything" method.  To the gurus on the 
reflector:  If I follow the DE method, does that include a quick disconnect 
on the cable going out of the shack to the ground rods?  This was asked a 
few months ago by someone.  There were two responses:  1.  yes; (to 
paraphrase:) a guy I know had a near strike & a surface ground surge 
travelled from his ant. to his shack ground rods & entered his shack & fried 
everything (I may not have the facts exactly right but that was the idea).  
2.  No; (paraphrasing again) once the strike energy is in the ground it 
stays there; don't worry about your shack ground as an entry path but 
disconnect everything else.  Which is it?  I'm wondering if I should hacksaw 
through the copper cable from the shack to my 5 rods outside and put in 
something like a pair of locking pliars to allow for the quick disconnect 
from the rods when a storm approaches.  Perhaps it's not that big of a deal. 
  Have ground at the ant. mast, disconnect at the antenna for the feed, 
disconnects on everything inside (except the shack ground) but no s.p. 
entrance ground or perimeter gnd.

Thanks & 73,

Rob Atkinson
K5UJ
k5uj at hotmail.com





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