[TowerTalk] RF Surge Suppressor at Base of Tower or Shack SPG or Both ?

[Gene Smar]

TT:

      I read, possibly here back in the late 90s, a recommendation to 
wind a few turns into the rotator control cable at the tower top and 
bottom to create some impedance against lightning surges.  I did that, 
using short pieces of 2" PVC tubing and tie wraps to fasten the turns.  
I also ran the control cables, along with the coax, inside my Trylon 
tower's angluar leg members.  Finally, I installed a set of Polyphaser 
MOVs at the SPG outside the shack.  That is, the surge arrestor for the 
control cable runs down the tower and through the steel box at the 
bottom, into the conduit system and up to the SPG where it hits the MOVs.

      I realize that a direct strike onto the tower will probably blow 
right through the control cable whether there are a few turns in it or 
not, but it was cheap.

73 de
Gene Smar  AD3F


On 10/15/2021 11:05 AM, john at kk9a.com wrote:
> Rotator cables typically have no shield to bond to the tower. I use MOVs
> near all of my rotators to protect the motors and potentiometers.
>
> John KK9A
>
>
> Michael Tope W4EF wrote:
>
> Jim, et al:
>
> What about control cables coming down the tower? I just skimmed through
> the first edition of Ward's grounding book. It recommends bonding the
> coax shields to the tower, but doesn't say anything about control
> cables. Typically there is a least one rotator control cable in the mix
> and oftentimes additional control cables for array switches and multiple
> Tic ring rotators on larger more sophisticated installations. That seems
> like an inconsistency, no?
>
> 73, Mike W4EF...........
>
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