[TowerTalk] Crank Up Tower Conductivity

[Don W7WLL]

That was the question I have Steve and I don't truly think it is a 
non-issue, particularly with the crankup tower instructions I've read re 
lightning protection.

My interest was piqued by the discussion of the requirement to ground all 
cable legs, the number of ground rods to use, wire/strap size, etc. This is 
just not feasible that I can see with a crankup so was interested in best 
approach. Should I have more ground rods. If so, how should they be placed 
or spread? Should I depend on a single base ear tower ground where that ear 
is attached to the tower ear by just the pressure of the galvanized bolt 
fastening? We suffer a lot of salt buildup on everything and depend of 
course on anti-seize to ensure the bolts can be later separated. I see no 
way to utilize the solutions suggested for fixed rigid towers such as the 
hefty and costly clamps to crankups.

So, is the cable system within the crankup tower sufficient for a lightning 
strike? The cables are well lubed (I live on the ocean and use the lube and 
lube process recommended by the local marine cable rigger who installs tons 
of rope cable on the fishing and crabbing fleet). As well, the cables are 
connected only by contact to the pulley wheels and the thimble contact at 
the ends.

Yes, the tower sections certainly touch in some way but my inner tower 
section facings are lubricated, so am unsure just how robust the contact 
area is.

Summary - just wondered what others did with their crankups re creating a 
grounding system as robust as those that have been discussed for fixed 
towers (or can you?).

Don W7WLL




-----Original Message----- 
From: k7lxc--- via TowerTalk
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2017 8:11 AM
To: patrick_g at windstream.net ; towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] height of ground rod at tower base

>  The movable sections of a crank-up tower are never so perfectly balanced
that they don't touch each other.? I suppose you could connect a wire
from each section to the one below such that it reaches from clamp to
clamp when the tower is fully raised and "bulges outward" in a non
interfering manner when the tower is lowered.

    Isn't the tower already continuously conductive?  What about the cables 
that connect each section? Isn't this a non-issue?

Cheers,
Steve     K7LXC
TOWER TECH

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