[Boatanchors] new Ground system

[Glen Zook]

Having been employed with duties including being the
"grounding expert" for a very large utility company's
communications systems (two-way radio, microwave,
telephone, data, etc.) for over 10 years (the company
includes gas, electric, and telephone for over half of
the State of Texas and many international companies as
well), I "discovered" that there is only one definite
"thing" when "grounding experts" get together:  If you
have one expert then you have one idea as how to
ground.  If you have two experts, then you have four
ideas how to ground.  If you have three experts, then
you have nine ideas as how to ground.  If you have
four experts, then you have sixteen ideas as how to
ground.  The number of "ideas" is exponential to the
number of "experts"!

I often do presentations to various groups including
amateur radio clubs on the subjects of lightning
protection and r.f. grounding.  Also, last summer I
made a presentation at one of the Collin County
Community College campuses that was taped and then
converted to video disk for distribution to other
colleges and universities around the country.

There are different approaches to both subjects, and I
cover both in my presentations.  There are definitely
things that work other than what I recommend.  But,
what I recommend does definitely work!

For example, I live 1/2 block from the highest point
in the city.  My top antenna on my "main" tower is 67
feet above ground and the "lay of the land" is such
that in all directions except straight west, the land
is "falling" away from me.  I am about 15 feet below
the highest point according to the topo maps, which
puts my top antenna 52 feet above the highest point.

My "main" tower went up in early May 1972 and has
NEVER been hit by lightning.  The house across the
street has lost 3 trees and a chimney to lightning. 
The "pole pig" (electric company transformer) at the
back corner of my lot has been hit by lightning.  It
is about 50 feet from my tower and about 40 feet below
the top of my antenna.  Other strikes have occured
around my neighborhood including other amateur towers.

I operate on all bands from 160 meters through 432 MHz
running up to 1400 watts output (my linear just won't
really do the legal maximum!).  My wife can watch any
of 3 televisions in my house at any time.  My
neighbors have never complained of TVI.  I have heard
"through the grapevine" that one fairly new neighbor
did install a "wireless" baby monitor and that they
can occasionally hear me on, but I have never had a
complaint.

There is another amateur who lives about 4 blocks from
me who has all sorts of TVI, RFI, etc. problems who
does not believe in proper grounding, etc.  Frankly,
he is not "popular"!  On the other hand, I have been
told by several neighbors that if I ever move that I
have to leave my tower!  It seems that they use it as
a "landmark" when telling people how to find their
houses!  You can see my tower and that of K5CQ (who
lives 2 blocks straight north of me the "short" way)
from the main freeway about a mile away.  His tower is
25 feet taller than mine, but my tower "looks"
slightly higher from the freeway since K5CQ's house is
"down the hill" from me.

Anyway, as I said before, the number of "grounding
ideas" is exponential to the number of persons
participating in the discussion!

Glen, K9STH


--- "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <dfischer@usol.com> wrote:

It shall never cease to amaze me, the volume of 
responses any question regarding a station ground
system invariably generates!

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage
http://sports.yahoo.com/