George said "disconnect everything and pray...." So, George would you disconnect you antenna from it's ground????
On Mar 29, 2011, at 10:09 AM, george fritkin wrote: > Let's introduce some facts. Lightning strikes can carry from 10K to over 50K > amps. That will vaporize #12 wire instantly. Typical ham installations do > not have adequate protection and in fact it is not affordable for the average > ham. When you are in the mist of a storm disconnect everything....I mean > unplug and pray that nature spares your antenna. Storms that are in the > proximity may induce high voltage spikes on the power grid so it is hard to > evaluate potential damage. > As I said unplug. Switches, power strips, discharge tubes, are patch > solutions. For safety sake unplug!! > George, W6GF > > > > > --- On Tue, 3/29/11, Don Wilhelm <w3...@embarqmail.com> wrote: > > From: Don Wilhelm <w3...@embarqmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Lightning in New Mexico > To: "Phil Townsend" <phi...@mac.com> > Cc: "Elecraft Reflector" > Date: Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 6:23 AM > > Phil, > > Despite disconnecting your antennas, you still have to consider that the > coax shields enter the house. > > Yes, ground rod #2 (and #3 and all others) are to be bonded to the AC > Electrical Entry ground rod. > > I am not sure why that is counterintuitive to you. Yes, there is a very > real possibility that a lightning surge will be induced in the house > wiring with or without the connection between the grounds. But if there > is a lightning surge on either the antennas or the house wiring, you > want to keep both at the same potential. > > Keeping everything at the same potential during a lightning surge event > is what the bonding is all about. > > A lightning surge traveling through the earth can create a very large > difference in potential between ground rods that are not connected > together, and that potential difference can cause fires and damage. The > soil has more resistance than a wire between the ground rods. > > Look at the 2010 (or 2011) ARRL Handbook chapter on Safety - the fact > that ALL ground rods should be connected together is clearly stated. > > One other point on disconnecting your antennas - consider what happens > when you re-connect them. The PL-259 center conductor is connected > first, and then the shell is attached. If there is a charge on the coax > center conductor, you can zap your equipment by the simple act of > re-connecting it. Short the center conductor to the grounded shell > before connecting it to your equipment. It is better to disconnect the > antennas with a switch in the coax line and provide a DC path to ground > across the common coax connector at that switch. > > 73, > Don W3FPR > > On 3/29/2011 1:12 AM, Phil Townsend wrote: >> I have beat into the dirt another 8' foot ground rod(G.R. #2) next to the >> outside coax switch >> and have installed a Poly Phasor on the output coax that goes into the shack >> and poly phasors on each of the coax cables from the antennas. >> All the poly phasor's ground lugs are connected to ground rod #2. (Each Poly >> phasor has its own wire going to ground rod #2) >> >> This remote coax switch and ground rod #2 are about 12 feet from the AC >> mains. >> >> If I understand correctly, I should also bond this ground rod #2 to the the >> AC mains ground rod as well???? >> >> But if I do that then those antennas will be connected to the grounds in the >> house via the AC mains ground rod????? >> This seems counterintuitive? I mean... now there will be the very real >> possibility of lightning in the house wiring??? >> > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
