Geoff, I certainly understand your "do it right" approach...the impossible:
8 ft ground rods -- I have bedrock at 36-42". When I put the tower up, I tried. I rented a heavy SDS hammer drill and, despite hours of trying, never got deeper than 5 ft. And what good is a single, shallow rod in rock? "Lower the antenna to the ground when a storm approaches." I'm not going out at 2 a.m. to fool with antennas. With frequent storms,I might as well leave the antennas on the ground except when operating. Not worth the time and effort to pull them back up for an hour of operating. Too much of a mess and tangle to leave them on the ground, I'm talking 60,and 80 and 40m antennas, support lines, coax, etc. Tangles. I don't operate that much, and it would not be worth all the hassle. Technically I know you are right. From a practical standpoint, it's probably time to turn in my license and sell the equipment. (My Novice license was issued 60 years ago.) Solutions have to be practical. Quitting the hobby is the only practical solution I see. 73, Ken WA8JXM On Mon, Jul 31, 2023 at 10:57 AM Geoffrey Feldman <geoffr...@comcast.net> wrote: > > > First thing and foremost - switches are mostly not relevant to protection. > Energy that can travel 1000' through the sky is likely to continue across > most switches. So, the utmost of safety is what you indicated you did - > disconnect. By disconnect, I mean either disconnect outside the building, > leaving the feed on the ground or leave the feed connected to a copper > plate > that is in turn connected to an 8' deep ground stake. On the inside of the > house, disconnect the lines from that plate and leave them on the floor. > Another such stake near the feed point of the antenna is also a great idea. > If it's possible to lower the antenna when not in use, that's a great idea. > This should be the default when not in use. > > > > You have the belief that no grounding system is perfectly effective (for > all > imaginable strikes) - maybe, but a good grounding system is far better than > foolishness. A grounding system, or an antenna is not a "lightning > magnet". If it doesn't strike it won't. If it does it will and the > grounding > system assures the energy will be less likely to cause harm. Some places > and > circumstances are more or less likely but everywhere is possible. If that > possibility happens, a good grounding system is why it is likely to be > survived. > > > > A key thing to understand is that when Lightning strikes in nature, all the > energy travels along the surface of the ground. It can do this for many > feet and be lethal doing it. Anything that stands along the radius from > the > point of the strike (one part closer and the other further) is in danger. > Four legged animals, having more distant contact points, more dangerous. > The purpose of a ground stake (8' straight down) is to channel the > electricity deep, rather than along the surface. > > > > Don't use emotional theories. Read the lightning mitigation and grounding > books offered by the ARRL. Use UL approved conductors and stakes. Do not > use your homes electrical service ground stake. Keep that separate. > > > > All the above is a "cliffs notes" and so is anything else posted here. Read > the books. Ask senior members of a local club, to review your plan. > > > > W1GCF Geoff > > ______________________________________________________________ > 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 > Message delivered to wa8...@gmail.com > ______________________________________________________________ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
