We've added a 2/0 (I think) insulated copper wire from the tower top rod to the grounding at the bottom. This has helped a great deal at the two towers we've done it at. The current will go mostly through this instead of mostly on the tower framework (or your shielding). It was about $3/foot, and a similar amount for installation labor.
The cell phone guys usually also run their own heavy duty ground down their cable management ladder next to their coaxes, probably for similar purposes. We can't do this everywhere for various reasons, and we've lost a lot of money on lighting damage in July. On Wed, Aug 05, 2009 at 10:31:42AM -0400, Chuck Hogg wrote: > Has anyone been able to withstand a direct lightning strike? We had a > tower get hit last night, and some of our equipment lost Ethernet ports > (RB/433AH), and we lost 3 canopy APs, but that is all (considering what > is all up there only 2/3rds was blown). Our Trango AP survived and a > RB/433AH survived. Even Nextel had their guys out there, but they just > had to reset alarms it appears as nothing was "fried" on their end. I > wish I had to just reset alarms. > > > > So tell me, what do you do ? I'm tired of dumping a few grand during big > lightning storms. > > > > I do the basics, Ethernet surge suppression up top and on the bottom, > Polyphasers, ground out to the ground bars, ground out the cat5 cable, > and no omni's. > > > > Regards, > > Chuck Hogg > > Shelby Broadband > 502-722-9292 > ch...@shelbybb.com > > http://www.shelbybb.com > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- /* Jason Philbrook | Midcoast Internet Solutions - Wireless and DSL KB1IOJ | Broadband Internet Access, Dialup, and Hosting http://f64.nu/ | for Midcoast Maine http://www.midcoast.com/ */ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
