RF does not flow on the entire surface of flat copper tape (Electronic and Radio Engineering by Frederick E. Terman 4th Edition, p 22). The RF current only flows on the outside edges of the strip, not on the middle outside surfaces. Think of looking at the end of a longitudinal slice out of a solid copper rod.
Chuck KE9UW [email protected] Sent from my iPad > On Apr 25, 2018, at 12:32 PM, Fred Jensen <[email protected]> wrote: > > Sounds like you're following the rules. You might consider flat copper tape > instead of wire for bonding. Lightning is an RF event and currents will be > confined to the outside surfaces of the conductors. Consequently, the > surface area rather than volume of the conductor is what matters most. The > conductors on one of the original transmission lines from Hoover Dam to Los > Angeles were hollow. > > As to your last question, "it depends." There's no predicting what a direct > strike on your tower might do, the currents are so high that everything in > whatever path it chooses becomes a conductive plasma. And, just because your > tower is there does not mean all the strikes will be direct. The W7RN > contest station is on an exposed ridge at 6,500 ft with multiple towers. As > Tom points out, the lightning seems to choose a sagebrush bush randomly more > often than one of the towers. > > 73, > > Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW > Sparks NV DM09dn > Washoe County > > >> On 4/25/2018 9:41 AM, Terry Brown wrote: >> I am building a new house. It has a UFER foundation ground. I will be >> putting ground rods around half the perimeter of the house between my shack >> and tower. >> >> No. 4 solid copper wire will connect all my ground rods together and will >> tie to the UFER ground in two places. >> >> I am having a sprinkler system installed and it would be possible to put my >> ground rods and connecting wire in the same trench next to the 1 in. Water >> line. >> >> I live in an exposed area and my 35 ft. tower (which will have 3 ground rods >> around its base and radial ground wires) will be tied into the perimeter >> ground and UFER system as well; as will all my Elecraft station equipment. >> >> If I get a lightning hit, will close proximity to my sprinkler lines destroy >> them? How far should my ground system be from m my main sprinkler system >> line if it is an issue? >> >> Thanks! >> >> 73’s, >> >> Terry de N7TB >> >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[email protected] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered to [email protected] >> >> -- >> This message has been scanned by E.F.A. Project and is believed to be clean. >> >> > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [email protected] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
