earth ground questions ???

[wavrider]

Yep commercial installs are engineered from the ground up, they also have back up tower and antennas just in case.

 

[mackmobile43]

Times two on the no guarantee, Now if someone or anyone can convince the "Lightning" to follow ohm's law.

Lightning per say follows no rules and makes it's own decision where and when to strike.

All the grounding and prevention can be done correctly and precisely, yet a direct lightning strike will be catastrophic.

Having a residence in FL, lightning strike capitol, I have seen many times the antenna and tower take a strike, having that "good" earth ground does help to get the charge to ground potential.

The only antenna damage I have ever had was having a fishing pole ( imax 2000, antron 99 or something along those lines) sticking out a top of a tall pine tree with no ground wire going to an earth ground. I had two of those fishing poles blown apart by lightning strikes. Of course coax was not connected to any equipment or for that matter even inside a building.

Coax was laying on the ground. always used to think that the tap root on a pine tree was deep enough to provide a good ground, sure made that coax look like burnt spaghetti noodles.

Trees especially pine or cedar act like large resistors when struck by lightning, they let all the smoke out before the electricity makes it to earth.

The liquid in a tree does not make for a great conductor to earth.

 

[wavrider]

Mack that is for sure on the trees, this was many years ago when I had the fishing poles in the trees.

 

[mackmobile43]

Mack that is for sure on the trees, this was many years ago when I had the fishing poles in the trees.

I have a few fishing poles but the one that uses coax hangs in the garage also.:laugh:

 

[gamegetter]

I agree with beetle on the nec code...also check with your home owners insurance as i have read that different states require different ground. I know that is odd, you would figure that with a national code all would be the same.

and you would definitely not want to invalidate your home insurance in the event of a lightning strike. good luck.

 

[wavrider]

I have a few fishing poles but the one that uses coax hangs in the garage also.:laugh:

Op in Gainesville FL lives in one of those HOA restricted things, his fishing pole (imax2000) is in the rafters of his attic, he makes contacts and even works DX.

 

[Beetle]

I agree with beetle on the nec code...also check with your home owners insurance as i have read that different states require different ground. I know that is odd, you would figure that with a national code all would be the same.

and you would definitely not want to invalidate your home insurance in the event of a lightning strike. good luck.

NEC specifies just the minimum requirements. States/counties/cities are free to specify more stringent criteria.

@ Booty: it might be safer in the long run if you were to disconnect your antenna OUTSIDE rather than inside. Keep the lightning from even entering the coax.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

beetle . i have been thinking of doing just that using a several inch deep upside down Tupperware type bowl and using a bulkhead/double 239 adapter in it to keep it out of the rain . it will also make it easy to connect a radio to it out on the deck when tinkering with it so i don't have to keep going in and out of the house . and maybe in a month or 2 get a inexpensive but decent impulse suppressor like the ICE 300/U ..... but unfortunately they seem to be closing shop due to the death of the owner .

http://www.iceradioproducts.com/impulse1.html#1

thanks to all that have helped me so far