[Elecraft] Grounding negative side of power supply?

[Robert Mcgraw]

At my shop sits my 100 ft tower for the 3 repeaters and one of my HF
stations.  Some 50 ft away is a old Hickory tree that's about 60 to 70 ft
tall.  Two years ago I received a lightning strike that destroyed the
tree. No damage to the tower, any of the 12 antennas on the tower or any
of the equipment in the two racks in the building.   The tower and
equipment was correctly and properly grounded.  The tree wasn't.

73
Bob, K4TAX

> On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 06:31:04 -0400, Tom W8JI wrote:
>
>>I'm not so sure we aren't getting carried away with our own
>>interpretation of NEC rules here. We also have to apply a
>>little technical "common sense" to our systems.
>
>>I have antennas and towers scatter over thousands of feet
>>distance. It would be totally worthless and physically
>>impossible to bond the ground rods on my antennas to my
>>mains ground. The additional protection to my house and
>>equipment, and to people, would be zero.
>
> Exactly. My interpretation is that NEC requires the bonding of
> the shack, and coax entry points with power system ground and all
> other grounds directly associated with the house, AND with a
> tower physically attached to or very close to the house, but NOT
> with a remotely located antenna or tower.
>
> My 120 ft tower is about 250 ft from the shack and 120 ft from
> the house, and is well grounded at its base. It's surrounded by
> several dozen redwoods, about half of which are at least 40 ft
> taller. I've never considered bonding it to either structure, and
> I wouldn't treat it differently even if the trees weren't there.
>
> 73,
>
> Jim K9YC
>
>
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