[TowerTalk] lightning protection

[Roger (K8RI)]

Michael Germino wrote:
> I guess how much protection you plan, depends on how much lighting happens in your area.  I have yet to see a "text book lighting protection" setup in my area.  Seems like most people around here just ground their tower with one to three rods and forget it.
>
> My parents have liked in their house on the ranch for 50 years and have lost their TV once.
>
> My tower is in the planning stage.  I'm going to do more than the One to three ground rods, but I don't plan on spending a lot of time on lighting protection.
>
> In the Central Valley of California.
>   
Central Michigan is sorta like that.  Normally there are few strikes in 
any one area.  I only had one antenna strike in over 40 years and that 
was back in 1962.  We lived near the top of one of the highest spots 
within 70 miles. My antenna was higher than that spot. Nary a problem. 
Then we moved down here.

I put up a 90' tower with a tribander, TV antenna, and repeater 
antenna.  It was hit twice in some where around 5 years.  One trike took 
out the 7/8" Heliax about 20' down from the top of the tower.  It 
removed all the tape, coax seal, and plating from every connector "up 
there".  I lost a new computer, a Polyphaser, and the front end out of a 
2-meter Kenwood.  THEN I put up the present tower and antenna system 
with a very elaborate grounding system.  The first 5 years it took an 
average of 3 direct (visually verified) strikes a year. Who knows how 
many strikes actually hit the tower that weren't seen. One additional 
strike missed the tower, hit the power pole/transformer in front of 
house across the road and one lot North.  They lost thousands of dollars 
worth of equipment. That strike also hit a pine tree two lots south of 
them and blew it apart.

Out of all those strikes I had no damage and the whole station was 
always connected. Surprisingly there have been no strikes in the last 
two years.

So lightning can be a bit capricious.  Here in an area, like yours with 
little lightning problems we suddenly get a whole series of strikes. Now 
a lull.  It may just be building up for "the big one", but I certainly 
hope not.



Roger (K8RI)
> Mike
> AD6AA
>
>
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