Then I should charge my neighbors for protecting their houses from lightning.
Steve N4LQ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Fred Townsend" <ftowns...@sbcglobal.net> To: "'Steve Ellington'" <n...@carolina.rr.com>; "'Randy Moore'" <wrmoor...@gmail.com>; <Elecraft@mailman.qth.net> Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 4:04 PM Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Ligntning protection >" Question: > Does grounding your tower or metal mast increase the likelihood of it > being > hit by lightning?" > Answer: One would hope would hope so. > > There are several theories of lightning protection. Before I comment on > those methods let me ask. Would you rather the lightning strike your > antenna > or your mast? If the antenna is struck your coax and everything attached > or > (usually) anything near your coax, is hosed. Even disconnect switches do > not > always protect. Conclusion it is much better to take the strike on the > mast > but if you can prevent the strike you are still better off. > > As a young boy I helped my grandfather install lightning rods on houses. > There were two kinds of rods. One had a sharp point at the end and the > other > a big ball. The ball rods were considered to be superior because they > usually took more strikes. Now we know that the pointed variety is > superior > because they bleed off charge preventing strikes. > > Take a close look at the popular video making the rounds showing the guys > climbing a 1700'? tower. Did you notice all the sharply pointed objects on > arms surrounding the top? Those are there to bleed off the charge. > > Final conclusion: > > Ground the mast and put a pointed lightning rod at the top. > > de Fred AE6QL. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Steve Ellington [mailto:n...@carolina.rr.com] > Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 12:28 PM > To: Fred Townsend; 'Randy Moore'; Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Ligntning protection > > Question: > Does grounding your tower or metal mast increase the likelihood of it > being > hit by lightning? > I have a 50' metal mast holding up the center of a dipole. No antenna > contacts the mast and the ant. is supported by rope. Should I drive in a > ground rod just for the mast? If I do, would lightning be attracted to it > then? It just seems like I'm inviting a hit by grounding it. > > Steve > N4LQ > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Fred Townsend" <ftowns...@sbcglobal.net> > To: "'Randy Moore'" <wrmoor...@gmail.com>; <Elecraft@mailman.qth.net> > Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 12:19 PM > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Ligntning protection > > >> Randy: >> I can not speak to your local building codes but the rule of thumb is >> lightning does not like to travel horizontally. That doesn't mean it >> won't >> happen but usually lightning seeks the shortest path to ground. That >> suggests you should connect to the closest ground (exception: any fuel >> line). >> If possible I would drive my own ground rod below the shack and use the >> garage ground as well. There is no penalty for extra grounds. >> >> 73 >> de AE6QL, Fred >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Randy Moore [mailto:wrmoor...@gmail.com] >> Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 8:15 AM >> To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Ligntning protection >> >> Sorry if someone has already asked this. My shack is on the second floor >> of >> my home and is on the opposite corner of the house from where the >> electrical >> power entry and ground are located. However, the electrical panel is in >> the >> garage right below my shack. Can I connect my shack ground to the panel >> ground instead of running a ~200' long line to the electrical ground on >> the >> other end of the house? >> >> Tnx es 73, >> Randy, KS4L >> ______________________________________________________________ >> 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
