[TowerTalk] Lightning Ground & RF Ground

[Phil Camera]

A well designed lightning ground will also make an excellent
RF ground for a vertical antenna. If it will not serve as an RF ground then
it is not an adequate lightning ground either.



No not really.  They are two totally different animals and neither will be a 
substitute for the other.

With lightning grounding, we are looking for a low impedance/low resistance path to ground
(at multiple spots) and are talking about high current and voltages.

For RF grounding, we are looking for the same but for low currents for our antenna to work
against. 

A super counterpoise radial system with lots of radial wires of small diameter located near the surface of ground
will not do diddly for dissipating a lightning strike.  And likewise 50 ft per tower leg of grounding wire connected to 
ground rods every 2X the rods' heights, will not form a proper RF radial field.

Having both and connecting them together, they always are connected together since each connects to the tower,
won't hurt, but they are really two different systems for two different purposes.

Phil  KB9CRY

(who's been laying low this time around on the bimonthly lightning discussion!)