take a heavy gage wire from the ground portion of the antenna, usually the
mounting bracket is a good one, down to a ground rod driven in below where
the antenna is mounted.
Lightening will try to take the shortest path to ground, so if your ground
wire is shorter than the coax, the larger part of the charge will go into
the ground rod close to the antenna...disconnect the coax during lightening
storms of course to prevent stray power from getting into the radio and
shack.
The lightening arrester or poly phaser is the best route though since this
will disipate the lightening before it gets to the shack, and will help to
prevent static build up on the fiberglass antenna.
73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message -----
From: "tom behler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2010 11:56 AM
Subject: grounding question
> Hi, all.
>
> As many of you know, I'm planning to put in a ground rod for an HF station
> earth ground here at the new home QTH in Colorado if I can get the weather
> to co-operate, and be above freezing for a while.
>
> However, in thinking about grounding, I have another question.
>
> My VHF/UHF antenna here at the new house is a Diamond X200A. It is
> mounted
> with a bracket to the side of the house, just below the roof line. The
> coax
> for that antenna runs from the feedpoint, around the house, and into the
> feed-through panel at the shack window.
>
> How do you ground an antenna like this for lightning protection?
>
> I suppose that, when summer thunderstorms approach, I could simply
> disconnect the antenna, and hope for the best, but I wonder what others
> have
> tried. There are no grounding instructions provided with the antenna
> itself.
>
> See everyone on the Cross-country Blind Ops Net in a couple of hours!
>
> 73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
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