[TowerTalk] grounding

[K8RI on Tower talk]

Like Tom I no longer disconnect as the storm would be past by the time I'd 
get everything unhooked.  Since finalizing the ground system I've had no 
problems and the tower takes an average of 3 direct hits (that I can account 
for) every year.

My cable entrance is on the opposite side of the house from the electrical 
entrance, but I run the heavy ground cable right across the basement to the 
electrical service entrance. So, yes due to rise time there can be a fair 
difference between the voltage at the bulkhead and service entrance, but 
since making the shortest hook up possible, the most that has happened is 
the computer network reset.  I've not even had a computer reset.

Other than the cable entrance every thing else is just as Tom describes his.


Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com

>> garyschafer at comcast.net writes:
>> As far as Polyphaser protection devices go, you really
> don't need them
>> if you disconnect the lines from the equipment and ground
> the shield and
>> center conductor of the coax when not in use.
>>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> K4XS replied:
>> I wish that was true.  It is not.  Three years ago, before
> I got the
>> Polyphasers,  I had disconnected as you said.
> Unfortunately the lightning traveled
>> and jumped on to the Al-Foil aluminum insulation material
> near the entrance box.
>
> I don't disconnect at all. Too many cables.  I don't have
> polyphasers or anything else except a couple MOV's on the
> power mains. There are a few antenna relay switches that
> open antennas when power is off.
>
> I get lightning hits several times a year. I never get
> computer, modem, or radio problems.
>
> The trick is a single point entrance. Bulk head feed through
> that grounds to the power line feed grounds. Everything to a
> entrance plate. Everything at the desk to a single point.
> Everything at the TV sets/stereos the same way. All
> TV/radio/VCR clusters plug into  "WalMart protected outlet
> strip, coax passes through it also.
>
> Ground it correctly to a common point at each equipment
> cluster. Ground the building entrance to a common connection
> with power mains ground. That's the main part...
> 73 Tom
>
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