there is no exact answer. fulgerites(sp?) (glass tubes caused by
melting of the soil where lightning strikes) have been tracked for quite
a distance in the ground, at least one i remember was tracked for 2-3m
before it hit an underground cable and blew a hole in the metal jacket
around the cable. the ionization area around a simple rod in average
soil may be 1-2m and underground ionized tracks from the end or side of
the rod can go much further, but there is no simple answer. tracks on
the surface of the ground around a strike have been observed for about
10m.
the best you can do is what many others have suggested... talk
to the gas and electric company about your situation and see what
the regulations are, at least if you follow the rules they can't
blame you for damage (well, not much anyway). if you don't check
and they later find damage caused by your installation you could
be liable for repair costs or more.
Jonathan Kaplan wrote:
>
> I had to step in and say STOP! Everyone is off on some
> tangant which has nothing to do with what I originally ask.
>
> What I originally wanted to know was how close to the Tower's
> base and grounding rods I could have the electrical and gas
> mains to the house without a lightning strike jumping from the
> rods through the ground to the wiring and piping.
>
> In other words, how much ground is necessary around a ground
> rod to safely dissapate a lightning strike? If someone knows the
> answer, I'd appreciate hearing from you.
>
--
David Robbins K1TTT (ex KY1H)
k1ttt@berkshire.net or robbins@berkshire.net
http://www.berkshire.net/~robbins/k1ttt.html
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