[TowerTalk] lighting protection setup

[Roger (K8RI)]

Mark Robinson wrote:
> Is it worth placing coaxial relays outside the shack and having the relays 
> set up  so that when these relays are not energised the antennas are 
> disconnected from the shack and grounded. Powering up the relays would 
>   
It can help, but I'd not depend on them for absolute protection.  I use 
remote antenna switches that ground the center conductor when not 
energized and the coax shield is grounded to the tower, top and bottom.  
I also have a 6-pack to allow me to use different rigs on the antennas. 
  The gap in relay contacts themselves is insufficient to prevent 
precipitation static from jumping so always ground the unused cables let 
alone nearby lightning strikes.

However, I've seen a 10" arc between the ends (laying on the desk) of 
two 6' long coax cables that were tied to the same grounding plate at 
their far ends.  You can't prevent surges, but you can get everything to 
to up and down together.

If you can do it, disconnect the coax cables where they come in the 
house/shack.  I can't so the rigs in here are connected all the time.
> connect the antennas into the shack and remove the grounding. This would 
> allow for an easy automatic disconnect and grounding of antennas when not 
> operating.
>
>
> Mark N1UK
>
>   
Roger (K8RI - ARRL Life Member)
www.rogerhalstead.com
N833R (World's oldest Debonair)