[TowerTalk] Static grounding protection-experience

[Pete Smith]

Y'know, in all this hypothetical discussion, I haven't seen anyone express 
what I think are the real "home truths" on the subject --

To wit:

Unless you have a purpose-built shack and grounding system, and the 
knowledge to be sure that you are doing *everything* right (which few of us 
do), the best way to protect your equipment and your house is to disconnect 
every conductor between the tower and the shack, whenever you are not on 
the air.  Otherwise, you can spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on line 
protectors, only to discover that some inadequacy in your ground system 
(for example) will still allow voltages to rise high enough in the shack to 
fry every semiconductor in the place.  If the strike is close enough to 
your house, you can still have extensive damage through induced voltages on 
conductors in the house, even if everything is disconnected.  TANSTAAFL

73, Pete N4ZR