[TowerTalk] CDwelding a tower leg

[Cqtestk4xs at aol.com]

I assume you don't live in the lightning capitol of North America, central  
FL.  I understand very well about lightning and static build up as do  
others who have posted here.  I have three 199.99 footers as well as  several 
other smaller ones.  Unless you live in an area of little t-storm  activity 
you have been very lucky.  Having a lightning hit your tower is  not if, but 
when.
 
I have spoken to several EEs who work at the local surge protection mfg  
company and since I have followed their advice I have had no damage even 
though  the towers have been hit over the summer.
 
Bill K4XS/KH7XS
 
 
In a message dated 9/17/2012 2:53:22 P.M. Coordinated Universal Time,  
frankkamp at att.net writes:

Nope,  never been hit by lightning in over 30 years of hamming.  
Evidently  you have had that misfortune.

Ever wonder if there might be something  you don't understand about 
static build-up?

My tower is grounded by  virtue of the tower leg bottoms stuck in sand 
and dirt below the  concrete.  I don't need any additional grounding.

The tower acts  like a big lightning rod.  Contrary to popular belief, 
lightning rods  don't attract lightning, they dissipate static charge.  
At least mine  seems to work that way.  Your milage may  differ.

Cqtestk4xs at aol.com wrote:

>You ever take a lightning  hit?  I have several times and it was  
>uh....exciting.   Towers were extensively grounded but not to a common  
ground with the  
>house.  Three tower legs are not an extensive ground and   will not 
>dissapate a direct hit and will likely make a beeline to your  shack on  
the coax to 
>finish the job on its way to your home  grounding system through the  
house.  
>You are living on  borrowed time with that attitude.  Extensive  grounding 
>is  your best friend and the insurance company's.
> 
>Bill  K4XS/KH7XS
> 
> 
>In a message dated 9/17/2012 1:17:23 P.M.  Coordinated Universal Time,  
>frankkamp at att.net  writes:
>
>I fail  to see why a ground is needed at  all.  Surely the lower two feet 
>of  tower is firmly embedded  in dirt with the concrete anchor above  
>that.  If it was  done that way those three tower legs should serve as  
>some pretty  good ground rods.  At least my version of common sense  tells 
 
>me so.  I will have to admit that common sense has not  always  been 
>kind.  Sometimes it does not make sense at all  and becomes just  common 
>bs.  I am wondering what it might  be on this topic?   Anyone venture a  
>guess?
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