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Re: [RFI] grounding your ham equipment

To: gregory helman <turkee56@verizon.net>, rfi@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [RFI] grounding your ham equipment
From: "John K9UWA" <k9uwa@arrl.net>
Reply-to: k9uwa@arrl.net
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2006 12:48:58 -0500
List-post: <mailto:rfi@contesting.com>
DUH.... sorry I meant here 3/8" ID.... NOT 3/4".. copper tubing.

And as others mentioned read the POLYPHASER grounding 
book .. manual ... PDF file

I might add a little here.... I have three towers... tallest antenna 
is at 199 feet ... 

When I installed this antenna system in 1988 I did the usual 
sloppy "Ham Style" ground system .. couple of ground rods and
simple stuff in the shack... 

Then the summer of 1989 ... one good lightning hit and a whole 
lot of stuff became history.... the smoke all out of it .... Damage 
to the towers, antennas, feedlines, home appliances ... a bit 
above 10K ... and one whole lot of effort on my part to find and
fix all of it... 

INCLUDING MY HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE ... also UP IN 
SMOKE .... now that really tees off your mortgage company 
when they find out you don't have any insurance.. 

The ONLY HIGH RISK homeowners insurance company I could
find to take me said.... 

Son... you have 6 months to install a "Commercial Ground 
System" ... or get those towers all on the ground ... or else..
We won't keep you either! ... 

Lots of incentive here... So I got and read and talked to all
the VERY HELPFULL PEOPLE at Polyphaser.com and
together we designed an extensive commercial style ground
system.. 

today I have 100 ground rods... all at least 8 feet long... 1200 
feet of Silver Soldered Copper Tubing to tie all these 100
ground rods together... and every metal anything that comes
and goes from this place is protected with a polyphaser device
of some sort ... 

The "Strike counter" ... yes i have one of those on the tallest
tower.. says 46 strikes large enough to trigger the counter... 

Only damage to date was a couple of years ago the power line 
main shunt protector smoked .... The Nice lady at Polyphaser 
only asked me one question.. "Was Anything in your home 
damaged?" .... nope the gadget did its job... time to buy a new
one... Overnite it.... we are in the summer storm season.. 

I triggered last nite from some minor power line hit someplace...
I never even quit typing on the computer... while all the lights
in the place are out... Damage .. ZERO ... take the others advice
and mine ... DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME ... 

John k9uwa






John Goller, K9UWA & Jean Goller, N9PXF 
Antique Radio Restorations
k9uwa@arrl.net
Visit our Web Site at:
http://www.JohnJeanAntiqueRadio.com
4836 Ranch Road
Leo, IN 46765
USA
1-260-637-6426

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