[TowerTalk] Site Grounding

[Tony King - W4ZT]

If you have but one chance to bury in the ditches and you're pressed for 
time, go get some copper plumbing pipe.  Brazing the joints would be best.

73,
Tony

At 09:57 AM 10/21/2003, Eric Scace K3NA wrote:
>Hi Warren --
>
>    I would not bury braid for this application.  Braid corrodes quickly 
> when exposed.  As others have pointed out, corroded braid
>develops a significant impedance at RF, which is not what one wants in a 
>grounding system.
>
>    You would be better off getting some lengths of copper flashing such 
> as that used for roofs or gutters.  2-3" wide flashing is
>fine.  This gives a very low impedance ground than solid large-diameter 
>copper wire, and is much less expensive.
>
>    Good luck with your project.
>
>-- Eric K3NA
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: WarrenWolff at aol.com [mailto:WarrenWolff at aol.com]
>Sent: 2003 October 21 Tuesday 00:30
>To: eric at k3na.org
>Cc: WarrenWolff at aol.com
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Site Grounding
>
>
>Hi Eric,
>
>I tried to log back on to Tower Talk, but it seems I must have inserted 
>some strange character in my access info.  Could not get in.
>Not sure if I was successful in contacting the list administrator for help.
>
>I am retiring at Lake Havasu City AZ in 2005; ground is notoriously poor 
>there despite what the Antenna Handbook says is "just
>poor".
>
>So, I thought as my neighbor was installing a 184 wall with a very deep 
>foundation and I am butting a 131 foot wall against his, I
>could take advantage of these "long" ditches and place a long run
>of grounding conductor in the bottom of the ditches.  Then, it would be a 
>short run to either/both of my towers for lightning
>protection.  I would go ahead and run the multiple short 
>grounding/dissipators as typically recommended.  I would also space some
>copper rods along the run.   There also
>is a lot more lightning there than the handbook says, as well.
>
>One person responded that braid was not a good move.  So, I guess I have 
>more to learn yet.  Want to get the most reliable routing
>to ground for the lightning protection, first, and then for entire 
>station.  I have printed a bunch of stuff from the Internet for
>reading, too.
>
>I am blessed to find that there are no tower height limits at the 
>lake.  So I will achieve my dream of a big 40 m yagi plus some
>nice multiband gadget on the other tower.
>
>Thanks for your response to my posting.
>
>Regards,  Warren
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>
>See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
>Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with 
>any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
>_______________________________________________
>TowerTalk mailing list
>TowerTalk at contesting.com
>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk