Michael Germino wrote:
> I guess how much protection you plan, depends on how much lighting happens in
> your area. I have yet to see a "text book lighting protection" setup in my
> area. Seems like most people around here just ground their tower with one to
> three rods and forget it.
>
> My parents have liked in their house on the ranch for 50 years and have lost
> their TV once.
>
> My tower is in the planning stage. I'm going to do more than the One to
> three ground rods, but I don't plan on spending a lot of time on lighting
> protection.
>
> In the Central Valley of California.
>
Central Michigan is sorta like that. Normally there are few strikes in
any one area. I only had one antenna strike in over 40 years and that
was back in 1962. We lived near the top of one of the highest spots
within 70 miles. My antenna was higher than that spot. Nary a problem.
Then we moved down here.
I put up a 90' tower with a tribander, TV antenna, and repeater
antenna. It was hit twice in some where around 5 years. One trike took
out the 7/8" Heliax about 20' down from the top of the tower. It
removed all the tape, coax seal, and plating from every connector "up
there". I lost a new computer, a Polyphaser, and the front end out of a
2-meter Kenwood. THEN I put up the present tower and antenna system
with a very elaborate grounding system. The first 5 years it took an
average of 3 direct (visually verified) strikes a year. Who knows how
many strikes actually hit the tower that weren't seen. One additional
strike missed the tower, hit the power pole/transformer in front of
house across the road and one lot North. They lost thousands of dollars
worth of equipment. That strike also hit a pine tree two lots south of
them and blew it apart.
Out of all those strikes I had no damage and the whole station was
always connected. Surprisingly there have been no strikes in the last
two years.
So lightning can be a bit capricious. Here in an area, like yours with
little lightning problems we suddenly get a whole series of strikes. Now
a lull. It may just be building up for "the big one", but I certainly
hope not.
Roger (K8RI)
> Mike
> AD6AA
>
>
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