[TowerTalk] Lightning Advice

[Phil Camera]

Ed here's my input, for what its worth.

"Still using disconnects to everything on my desk. Does that sound like a good 
plan?"


No, that sounds like a bad plan.  Merely disconnecting cables inside of your house may save your equipment, but as you found out, it doesn't keep the surge energy out.

"I can't do a "whole house ground" the way my place is laid out."

Exactly why not?

There are three grounds at the tower, three under my window and four near 
the main entry panel.


Your grounding system is missing a bunch of required elements.  The AC mains suppressor you've purchased will protect the AC circuits. 

You need more ground rods.  According to Polyphaser, we need 75 ft of ground radials with rods spaced every 2X height for each tower leg.  You only have three.  You need more.

Your coax shields ought to be bonded to the tower at least at the base of the tower.

The three rods outside your window (I'm assuming that's where your cable enter.) are you SPG.  To these you bond all the lighting arrestors which are on all cables prior to entry into the house.  I like ICE devices; Polyphaser is an alternate.  Others usually are lessor.

The three rods at your service entry are nice.  Now, VERY IMPORTANT, you NEED to bond your SPG to your service entry ground rod, via an outdoor route.  Not doing so defeats a lot.

Finally bond all your equipment grounds together and then ground that outside to your SPG.

If you can bond your tower ground to the SPG also.

Once you do that, lighting will not get into your house and you'll never have to disconnect.

--
Phil - KB9CRY 
Lockport, IL 
http://nidxa.org/memberWWW/kb9cry_home.htm