[TowerTalk] Grounding, Lightning & corona discharge

[Dan Bookwalter]

"There are reports from trained observers...amateurs
with multi-tower
installations...who have observed storms with frequent
cloud to ground
lightning, where that lightning ceased when near the
antenna field, and
resumed after passing it.  So, I am inclined to
believe that a well 
grounded
tower system, with or without pointy things, will tend
to reduce the
resistance in the cloud to ground circuit."

we are missing a real chance here.... if we can get
documented proof of this , then , maybe we could get
building codes to insist on "multiple" towers on our
properties to reduce the chance of lightning strikes
to us and our closest neighbors.... that surely would
make everyone happy :-)

Dan N8DCJ

--- Jim Jarvis <jimjarvis at comcast.net> wrote:

> 
> I've been fighting the urge to wade in on this
> thread since
> its inception.  Must be the low pressure warm
> front/rain making
> me do it.  Not to mention the rumbling going on
> outside...
> 
> OK...there are experts out there.  Polyphaser is
> good.  There's
> another one whose name escapes me at the
> moment...maybe I.C.E...
> And there are videos and white papers available for
> purchase, at
> maybe 75 bucks apiece.  The last time this thread
> came up, someone
> here directed us there....
> 
> It IS true that lighting is unpredictable.  It is
> also true that
> having more points for corona to be generated will
> help bleed off
> charge in the ground-cloud circuit.  However, it is
> ALSO true that
> a fast moving cloud can result in voltage rise which
> is faster than
> the ability of the dissipation system to handle. 
> When that happens,
> you're more likely to get hit than you were without
> the multi-point
> device.
> 
> So, you pays yer money 'n takes yer chances.
> 
> There are reports from trained observers...amateurs
> with multi-tower
> installations...who have observed storms with
> frequent cloud to ground
> lightning, where that lightning ceased when near the
> antenna field, and
> resumed after passing it.  So, I am inclined to
> believe that a well grounded
> tower system, with or without pointy things, will
> tend to reduce the
> resistance in the cloud to ground circuit.
> 
> THAT said, there remains the question of
> best-practice grounding techniques.
> I argue that best practices are well established. 
> There should be no
> debate.
> 
> Read the literature.  Buy the available commercial
> products.  Do it right.
> Listen to the experts, not the opinionated.
> 
> To reiterate one essential:  single point ground is
> mandatory.  Moving telco
> to the other end of the house is courting disaster.
> 
> 
> N2EA
> jimjarvis at ieee.org
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 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.
> 
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