[TowerTalk] Conductive Concrete and Grounding

[K8RI on Tower Talk]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gary Schafer" <garyschafer at comcast.net>
To: "Charlie" <ad5th at direcway.com>
Cc: "Bill Shell" <n6ws at charter.net>; "Tower Talk List" 
<towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 9:22 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Conductive Concrete and Grounding


> 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.

I'd call watching the lightning hit a tower and then get off half way down a 
bit unpredictable.<:-))

Roger Halstead (K8RI, EN73 & ARRL Life Member)
N833R, World's Oldest Debonair (S# CD-2)
www.rogerhalstead.com

> 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
>>
>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> 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
>