At 06:18 AM 12/8/2006, Phil Camera wrote:
>"Something to bear in mind is that, in general, most jurisdictions
>don't bother enforcing the NEC for amateur radio antennas"
>
>
>Which actually is too bad because these guidelines are exactly the
>measures one should do for a properly installed safety & lightning
>prevention grounding system. And every single measure must be in
>place or else you're leaving an entry route for Mother Nature to bite you.
>
>Phil KB9CRY
On the one hand, as a P.E., I'd like to see the NEC enforced, it
being generally a "good idea".
On the other hand, as a tinkering ham, I'd like to see the
authorities have some discretion, particularly for experimental
systems, where presumably, I am taking a known risk.
What I would really like to see, both as a P.E. and a tinkerer, is
that people who are commercial and in the business of doing antennas
(e.g. the "dish installers") follow the code.
It's one thing for an amateur, by definition not being compensated
for the work, to be able to make a personal decision about safety.
It's another for someone who's a professional, and *should* be
responsible for the consequences of their actions (or lack thereof).
You get into a sort of sticky area where a ham hires a professional
to do something, and the ham doesn't want to "follow the code". The
pro has a couple choices: they can advise on the consequences and do
what the customer wants; or, they can refuse to do the work. I
suspect that what the pro will do will depend on their liability
insurance, their relatonship with the customer, and their previous
experience in the situation.
Jim, W6RMK
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