Hi,
My question is what can you do if you live in a rental situation where you
don't have the real estate or permission to put in a commercial quality ground
system. The landlord permits a 3 element Yagi on the roof but says no to
digging up his property for the ground system. What is the best way around this
situation?
Thanks,
Jim Douglas K2ZF
-----Original Message-----
From: Dick <k8...@mho.com>
To: 'Dale Putnam' <daleput...@hotmail.com>; elecraft <elecraft@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tue, Apr 12, 2011 8:27 pm
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Ligntning protection
Dale,
I have a good friend (Mike Higgins K6AER) who worked on "lightning proofing"
cell tower sights; and I can say you both really understand the importance
of good grounding!!
I have the good fortune (not so good in thunderstorms) to live on top of a
hill (6700 ft) south of Denver. Over the years I have erected an "antenna
farm", and devoted quite a bit of time working on (with Mikes help) the
lightning protection issue.
To the best of my knowledge, my work has paid off; to date (knock on wood) I
have not had any damage from lightning (and more than one time I have
forgotten to disconnect my equipment). I can't verify that I have been hit
since I started putting up my "farm" in 1994, but a few years ago one of my
neighbors called after we arrived home from an evening out to let me know
the fire dept had been at my house an hour or so ago. I called the
dispatcher, and he told me that a couple of individuals saw one of my towers
take a hit, and called it in. He told me they responded to check out our
house; and after talking to him, I checked out my equipment and everything
seemed to work just fine (coax and rotor lines were disconnected, but
everything was plugged in).
Mike lives about 5 miles from me, and knows he has taken a few hits over the
years; and to date, has not suffered in damage. However, he has also taken
the time to adequately ground his station and tower.
As you and I both know, one ground rod pounded in the ground right outside
the shack is not going to do the trick; it is not going to dissipate the
charge. I think the real "issue" for the vast majority of amateurs is, they
do not have the necessary real-estate to install a good ground system; and
second, the cost to do so (especially with today's prices for copper), is a
fairly expensive endeavor. Additionally, you have to evaluate the "risk";
I lived in Central CA for ten years (79-89), and had two or three ground
rods pounded in the ground. But we had less than one storm a year, so the
risk was low; and I didn't have the land to really have a good system
anyway.
Dick K8ZTT
Franktown, CO
-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Dale Putnam
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 8:58 PM
To: n...@sonic.net; elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Ligntning protection
After spending a career chasing storms, each summer, following them, strike
by strike, repairing the damages to commercial communicatins radio systems,
and wishing deeply that there were a way to avoid the waste of time and
resources in repairing the inevitable lightning damage.... Motorola gathered
together, and published their R56 grounding standard, Polyphaser, a company
that has made many an engineering carreer paid for, by placing arrestors in
line... published a number of white papers on the subject...
I then had the oppurtunity to embrace this information, and put it to a
test. The very same tower site, that had previously taken one strike and
damaged three stations, one beyond repair, was put to the test... the
grounding standards were installed.. thoroughly.. top to bottom... and
underground, Inside the building and outside.... then it was inspected not
once.. but three times, the last time, was just a few weeks prior to the
true test. What was the real true test? It was not one.. but SIX strikes to
the tower, seperated by by not less than 2 minutes and not more than 10
minutes apart, all from the same thundershower, accompanied by wind shear
and less than a half inch of rain, hail, and a flurry of snow. Now.. after
all that... the damages to the tower? none. building - none, radios - none.
my nerves... a wreck. I watched the lightning hit, and noting the time, so I
would be able to fill out the response reports and trouble tickets, and
invoice correctly... but that t
ime note... was never needed. The 16 radios on site, didn't even hiccup.
Not nary nothing.
I figure that if a commercial site, that has to be on, and in use during a
thunder storm can be made to do that.. then my little radio, that I have
worked deligently to get on the air, and enjoy so much... doesn't deserve to
be left to the whim of a whole herd of out of control electrons on a
rampage. And sometimes... sometimes it is a real blast to not have to pull
the plug, when the thunder announces that there is Lightning withing 5
miles. ... I don't recommend it tho... but it is nice to know that I don't
HAVE to pull all the plugs RIGHT NOW....
Have a great day,
--... ...-- Dale - WC7S in Wy
> > > I understand the technical reasons that people suggest for grounding
but I do not see the need.
> > > I have no problems.
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