[TowerTalk] Slightly OT Lightning Rods

Wilson kd8deg at centurytel.net
Thu Jul 30 10:11:22 PDT 2009


Hi,

Join this Yahoo group. This group is all about Lightning Protection. Allot of engineers from around the world on this group.  They can be way over my head allot of times, LOL, but you will get your questions answered. They have been very educational when it comes to Lightning & protection for me. One engineer sent me a complete drawing of how to set up grounding/lightning protection for my tower and radios.

LightningProtection at yahoogroups.com 

KD8DEG  Tom


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Kipton Moravec 
To: towertalk at contesting.com 
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 2:40 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Slightly OT Lightning Rods


Last weekend a house in my father-in-laws subdivision was hit by
lightning and was totaled even though 4 fire stations were on the scene.

None of the houses around have lightning rods and HOA & CCR prohibits
antenna towers. 

He thinks that the practice of running the gas line in the attic is a
big contributor to the house fires from lightning. He says the lightning
goes through the roof, or through the metal chimney and hits the black
galvanized gas pipe and blows off a cap and ignites. Even with flow
valves that are supposed to shut down if there is unrestricted flow, gas
leaks out and helps fuel the fire.

If we put lightning rods on the house, will that prevent the lightning
from jumping to the gas line in the attic? Or will it jump anyway. He
thinks it will jump anyway so it does not matter if there are lightning
rods or not.

You folks know more about lightning and lightning protection than I do,
so I am looking for some advice. 

How big should the wire be from the lightning rod to the ground? 

I assume all lightning rods should be tied together, and multiple paths
(2 or 3) from the roof to the ground are preferred to split up the
current.

Should the lightning rods be coupled to the house electrical service
panel ground also, like with antennas, or should it be kept separate
because it is not attached to equipment?

Should the gas pipe at the ground level be tied to the lightning rod
grounding rods? My thought is that if it is not then there is a big
potential difference between the lightning rod and the gas line which
creates a bigger voltage difference for the lightning to jump in the
attic. If it is attached together where the pipe comes out of the ground
then the gas pipe will have a charge which makes the difference between
the lightning rods and the gas pipe less so there is not as much
difference for the energy to jump from one to the other. Is this logic
sound or nonsense?

This is in North Texas, north of Dallas. We get some pretty good
thunderstorms here.  
-- 


Kipton Moravec AE5IB .- . ..... .. -... 
==============================================
Four Way Test
Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
- Herbert J Taylor (1932)
 


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