[TowerTalk] Antenna/Tower Grounding (Lightning Protection)

[Gary Schafer]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:towertalk-
> bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Scott Honaker
> Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 12:57 PM
> To: TOWERTALK at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Antenna/Tower Grounding (Lightning Protection)
> 
> The current (some say "dumbed down") Technician class question pool has a
> question on tower grounding.  There's no reference given (I would like to
> find it).
> 
> T0B11 (C) What is considered to be an adequate ground for a tower?
> 
> C. Separate 8 foot long ground rods for each tower leg, bonded to
>    the tower and each other

I would get that one wrong. There is no need to bond those rods together. It
serves no purpose other than to waste wire.

The reason is that the potential coming from the tower will be the same on
each rod via the lead from each leg. That puts all the rods at the same
potential (unless there is a drastic difference in ground conditions between
rods) so there is no difference in potential between them. A connection
between them provides the same as no connection.

73
Gary  K4FMX