[TowerTalk] US Tower damaged by lightning

[David Thompson]

I agree with Steve K7LXC.  I have helped on on a number of different US 
Towers 72 and 89 footers plus older Tristao versions.  I would think the 
lightening would come down the coax or perhaps the outside of the tower.  If 
the emergency winch brings it down Ok then look over the tower for burn 
marks or burrs in the cabling.  I have found that burrs is the first sign of 
cable failure.

If you do need to recable remember that each section of cable is separate. 
There is no long run
of cable.  The main thing I would look for is if the
pulleys are OK.  On my Tristao they are plastic inside a metal frame.

Sound like if everything looks OK then repairing the antennas as necessary 
and the MDP system is going to be the main tasks.

My tower has been hit several times over the past 35 years.  The last time 
it blew the top off the AEA 2 meter Isopole so I had a mere half wave up 
there.  The coax was replaced and thanks to AA6DX I have a complete 
replacement Isopole but the coax was not damaged just old so I retired the 
piece of coax.  I assume since I have a heavy ground buss on the bottom of 
two legs that the lightening took that path.  The grass was brown around the 
two ground rods.

Good luck with fixing everything and consider yourself lucky!

73 Dave K4JRB