Agreed, a really good ground is not all that expensive. While I have built
and used several ground fields I to work a couple of them over after
lightning strikes. So I do it a little differently nowadays.
I bought a Deeprock well drilling rig for another project; the local salvage
yards are working alive with very slightly radioactive used 4" well casing,
and the permanant water table is only about 15 feet down.
30 feet of well casing through my tower bases provide a direct path for
lightning and anything else that needs to be grounded. All three tower legs
are tied to the well casing. A lightning arrestor on the casing stub, a
current balun on the coax to the shack bulkhead, another well casing ground
at the bulkhead, and another gas discharge arrestor on the shack side of the
bulkhead takes care of both RF and lightning grounds.
And I would like to see the lightning strike that will turn the earth around
the well casing into glass! But I sure wouldn't like to be in the
neighborhood if it strikes.
Total cost - less than $200 bucks per tower. Several hits - no damage. Very
satisfactory.
73 Pete Allen AC5E
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