[TowerTalk] Re: Lightning & Power Lines

[doc]

Gene Smar wrote:
> Doc:
> 
>      I assume you're asking whether the nearby pole line will adversely
> impact your station's lightning strike vulnerability and survivability.  No,
> not significantly.  The fact that you have a power line of that voltage
> tells me that your planned home will not be fed directly (via a drop wire
> set) from this line.  So no need to worry about burying said drop line
> between the poles and your service meter (although you might want to do that
> with your actual service entrance cable - have the utility bury it when you
> start construction).  Any lightning strike on the power line will probably
> create noise (QRN) in your receivers, but then why would you be operating
> your station during a thunder/lightning storm?
> 
>      The thing I would watch (listen) for would be such QRN from dirty
> insulators or other failing equipment on that line.  You might want to
> conduct some preliminary tests with a portable AM/SW radio receiver
> underneath the line.  Try to get an idea of the type of RF environment
> you'll be building next to.  Then, if the noise is significant (your
> definition), approach the local utility trouble guys for help.
> 
> 73 de
> Gene Smar  AD3F

I wasn't concerned about the line feed relative to the HV lines. My
feed actually comes up from the street (500 feet from the house) and
along the property on the opposite side of the house from the HV lines 
and they will be buried for about 400 feet pole-to-house -- with what
I hope to be a helpful right-angle turn (grounded there by the utility
if I can get them to do so) at one point.

They are very RF-quiet, something I cannot say about most of the
service lines in the Hudson, FL area, they are scandalously
noisy throughout the area in direct violation of FCC regs!

I was mostly interested to discover if I am likely to experience
any value from them as giant lightning rods!

The phone lines are another thing entirely.  They run underground
parallel with the power lines up the driveway.  Phone lines seem
to be chronically more vulnerable so I will be making some
special efforts to get them to do their best to defend them and
I will add mine to theirs!

Thanks! & 73, doc kd4e