[TowerTalk] Grounding a tower system

Cqtestk4xs at aol.com Cqtestk4xs at aol.com
Sun May 6 17:44:40 PDT 2012


A question for the group:
 
I have three 199 ft towers in a triangular pattern about 300-400  feet from 
each other.  The closest to the house is about 225 feet  away.  Two other 
smaller towers (67 and 87 feet) are closer to the house  (about 75 to 100 
feet away).  
 
All towers are grounded to each other with heavy buried conductors  and 
each has six 8 foot ground rods in a fan.  All coax is grounded to the  tower 
at the base with heavy strapping.  At the bulkhead three ground rods  in a 
fan pattern go away from the house.  Bulkhead is connected to the  ground 
system by means a heavy copper strap.  At the bulkhead all  rotors and relays 
and disconnected with Cinch Jones disconnects.  Coax is  disconnected but has 
Polyphasers for all coax.  The ground at the bulkhead  has a Ufer and is 
connected to the electric service/telco drop on the side of  the house...common 
ground.  The service entrance also has a  Ufer.
 
The nearest power pole is around 150 feet away from the house (and  away 
from the smaller towers by 100 feet).  My electric and telco  service is 
underground from the pole to the house.
 
Now here's the question:  Would there be any benefit in  connecting (by 
means of an underground run) the towers to the power pole  ground.  I know it 
may not be legit to do it, but I'm out in the country  and the last house on 
the grid and the power pole is 650 feet off the road. My  thinking is the 
whole system, house electric,  antennas,  towers etc are all at the same 
potential.  I'm trying  to avoid any lightning seeing a different ground and 
traveling through the house  wiring to the pole.
 
Any thoughts on this?  It's pretty important to get this issue  resolved 
since Central FL is the lightning capitol of North  America.
 
Bill K4XS/KH7XS


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