Grounding is not to attract lightning, but to take away the static charge
that accumulates on antenna, etc. It is the accumulated stateic charge that
actually attracts lightning. Disconnect coaxes (I use a coax switch with a
disconnecting, grounded position for this purpose), but don't worry about
your ground attracting lightning.
All grounding is to be tied together, as per the National Ecelctical Code.
Use multiple length grounding conductors for your Station Ground. Impedence
to ground is high at odd 1/4 wavelengths, and low at even 1/4 wavelengths,
so a ground that works with 20 meters will not work with 10 meters.
Use flat grounding braid for your grounds.
Hope I don't get flamed too badly for this post. Cheers. Vern N2YZS
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Atkinson, K5UJ" <k5uj@hotmail.com>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Cc: <k5uj@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 11:33 AM
Subject: [TenTec] Grounding question
>
> I can't seem to get past the notion that if all the grounds are tied
> together, and a lightning bolt comes down and hits one of my antennas, the
> charge will come down to the buried strap and follow it to my shack
ground,
> come up and appear at the chassis lugs at the back panels of all my gear,
> arc all over and fry everything I own. it seems a lot better to let the
> charge come down and hit the ground rods at the antenna and stay out there
> (everything between the shack and the antenna disconnected).
>
> Rob
> K5UJ
>
>
>
> <By all means, all grounds should be connected together to prevent a
> difference in potential due to a nearby lightning strike. Failure to do
> this is the same thing that kills cows under a tree during a thunderstorm
> and radios. The cause, connections between two ground points of different
> potentials.
>
> Be sure that all grounds are bonded together. Cable, TV, phone, Sat, ham
> tower, ham station, AC mains, well pump, and etc.
>
> Send a request by e-mail and I'll be glad to provide a detailed paper that
> I've written and presented at the Southeastern VHF conference on Lightning
> Protection for the home and ham station. It is published in the
Proceedings
> of the 2003 Southeastern VHF Society Conference.
>
> It is also at this link if you wish:
> http://www.amwindow.org/tech/htm/lightning.htm
>
>
> 73
> Bob, K4TAX>
>
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