[TowerTalk] Conductive Concrete and Grounding

[Gary Schafer]

They were not experts that you heard that from.

It is true that there is nothing you can do to prevent a strike but 
there is plenty you can do to deal with one and prevent it from doing 
damage.

Lightning is not unpredictable as many think, as to how it will travel 
to ground or what path it will take.
The only thing that is unpredictable about it is how large of a strike 
you will get.

73
Gary K4FMX

Charlie wrote:
> I've always heard even from lightning experts that there is little one 
> can do to stop or even minimize the affects of a direct hit.
> 
> Charlie
> Ham Radio - AD5TH
> www.ad5th.com
> Live Blues Music
> www.492acousticblues.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Shell" <n6ws at charter.net>
> To: "Tower Talk List" <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 7:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Conductive Concrete and Grounding
> 
> 
>> In 1966, I lost a tower to a lightning strike.  The tower was a 50ft 
>> Rohn 25 with three sets of two guys.  The tower was grounded an the 
>> base with ground rods and heavy guage wire going up about 3-4 ft where 
>> it attached to the tower legs.  Unfortunately, the strike went down 
>> one of the guys, over or through the heavy-duty egg insulators to the 
>> guy anchor where it cracked the cement open.  The tower, having lost 
>> the anchor point for one set of guys, just tipped over into my 
>> neighbors yard.
>> I didn't have any grounds on the guy anchor points.  I had thought 
>> there was no need, since the guys were broken at several points with 
>> egg insulators.  I was wrong.  Lightning is too unpredictable to 
>> follow rules.
>>
>> 73, Bill
>> N6WS
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>> 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
>>
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 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
> 
>