[TowerTalk] how best to protect RC ham gear from lightning

[Jim Brown]

On 7/27/2018 9:26 AM, Paul Christensen wrote:
>> "My thoughts, so far, are to start from the highest point, with: 1.   A
> mast with rotator, bonded to the tower, with the topmost antenna
> down, say, 5ft from the mast top so the mast forms a sorta lightning rod"

Bonding around the rotator is important to prevent passive intermod 
within the rotator itself!
>
> I think that's mostly a "feel good" exercise.  Focus on the bonding effort.
> OTOH, I have a DC grounded M2 3 el. 30m monobander at 115 ft. above a
> 4-element SteppIR at 100 ft.  My own "feel good" thought was that the 30m M2
> *may* offer some protection to the SteppIR.  I doubt it, but it felt good.

Paul has given excellent advice throughout this.  I had a station at a 
similar decommissioned AT&T long lines site for a while (160 ft tower, 
32' square at the base, 24' square at the top), and had the opportunity 
to study the grounding. It's textbook.

73, Jim K9YC