I'm still an amatuer with 60 foot tower and 4 element beam located in a
secluded valley.
Your set up sounds professional. You have more steel in the air than my
zoning laws would allow.
No wonder you got hit. You have my sympathy and envy.
Cqtestk4xs@aol.com wrote:
I assume you don't live in the lightning capitol of North America, central
FL. I understand very well about lightning and static build up as do
others who have posted here. I have three 199.99 footers as well as several
other smaller ones. Unless you live in an area of little t-storm activity
you have been very lucky. Having a lightning hit your tower is not if, but
when.
I have spoken to several EEs who work at the local surge protection mfg
company and since I have followed their advice I have had no damage even
though the towers have been hit over the summer.
Bill K4XS/KH7XS
In a message dated 9/17/2012 2:53:22 P.M. Coordinated Universal Time,
frankkamp@att.net writes:
Nope, never been hit by lightning in over 30 years of hamming.
Evidently you have had that misfortune.
Ever wonder if there might be something you don't understand about
static build-up?
My tower is grounded by virtue of the tower leg bottoms stuck in sand
and dirt below the concrete. I don't need any additional grounding.
The tower acts like a big lightning rod. Contrary to popular belief,
lightning rods don't attract lightning, they dissipate static charge.
At least mine seems to work that way. Your milage may differ.
Cqtestk4xs@aol.com wrote:
You ever take a lightning hit? I have several times and it was
uh....exciting. Towers were extensively grounded but not to a common
ground with the
house. Three tower legs are not an extensive ground and will not
dissapate a direct hit and will likely make a beeline to your shack on
the coax to
finish the job on its way to your home grounding system through the
house.
You are living on borrowed time with that attitude. Extensive grounding
is your best friend and the insurance company's.
Bill K4XS/KH7XS
In a message dated 9/17/2012 1:17:23 P.M. Coordinated Universal Time,
frankkamp@att.net writes:
I fail to see why a ground is needed at all. Surely the lower two feet
of tower is firmly embedded in dirt with the concrete anchor above
that. If it was done that way those three tower legs should serve as
some pretty good ground rods. At least my version of common sense tells
me so. I will have to admit that common sense has not always been
kind. Sometimes it does not make sense at all and becomes just common
bs. I am wondering what it might be on this topic? Anyone venture a
guess?
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