[TowerTalk] Feedlines: inside or out on tower?

[Jim Brown]

On 8/20/2012 2:27 PM, iain macdonnell - N6ML wrote:
> I think the original topic included feeding the tower itself (as a
> low-band TX antenna, I assume).

Again, the MAJOR reason for bonding the coax shield to the tower is 
LIGHTNING PROTECTION.

> Does it really help to bond the
> shields of other coax runs to the tower if it's being used as a
> radiator?

Yes, it is equally important if the tower is being used as an antenna
.
> I have never actually studied loading towers as antennas,
> but imagined it involves insulating the tower from the ground at the
> base, which means it's definitely NOT "ground" at either end!.

Actually, most ham towers that are used as TX antennas are ordinary 
grounded towers, and  "shunt" fed using some sort of matching system 
depending on their height.  The gamma match is often used.  There's a 
lot about this in the ON4UN book, and some stuff in the ARRL Antenna Book.

73, Jim K9YC