[TowerTalk] OT: Propane Tank near lightning ground

[Pat Barthelow]

Our field day site on top of Chews Ridge, Los Padres National Forest, 
Southeast of Monterey, has a fire  lookout on top, with a fairly extensive 
heavy copper lightning rod array, and grounding  on the tower.  The site has 
been hit a number of times, evidenced by blown up  pine trees nearby, ( a 
very distinctive sight to a lightning struck tree.)  About 3 ft from the 
base of the steel angle iron frame of the lookout, on a concrete slab,  is a 
large propane tank, about 8 ft ft long, by about 3 ft diameter.  The tower 
has long been un-attended, but the guage on the tank still  indicates about 
half full as of last year.   I never paid attention to any lightning 
protection around the tank, but I bet the California Division of Forestry or 
US Forest Service has some design notes for these things  I think they were 
common energy sources for the lookouts.  When we did FD in the 60's at the 
same location, the Ranger used the propane for gas stove  applications, and 
had a thermo electric generator also to directly generate electricity for 
the lookout.

73, DX, de Pat AA6EG aa6eg at hotmail.com;
                  Skype:  Sparky599

>From: "Rick Bullon" <kc5ajx at hotmail.com>
>To: towertalk at contesting.com
>Subject: [TowerTalk] OT: Propane Tank near lightning ground
>Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2006 02:35:09 +0000
>Hello All
>I am building a new house here, the house is close to the tower and the
>propane tank will be real close to the ground rods.
>   Do I need to worry about the tank exploding if I get a lightning strike 
>to
>the tower? The tank will be on a couple of large concrete flat blocks and
>not in contact will the ground.
>I feel the is a stupid question but I have to ask just so I can sleep in 
>the
>new house at night
>73
>Rick
>kc5ajx