[Elecraft] [OT] Grounding Antenna when not in use

[Dale Putnam]

Ad Don points out very well, disconnect is best. Why? There are many white papers about that will dazzle you with there brilliance and take a lot of your time, how about I skin it for you?

Because: And electrical flow/current will follow Kirkov's law. agreed?

There fore, follow the flow of a direct hit, down the tower.. now the hit was to the tower. As the current flows down the tower, voltage is induced... into the feedline that is strapped to the tower. (that is the way transformers work, right?) So the current gets to the ground, but just before that.. it sees two paths.. the one to ground.. and the one along the feed line... or cable carrier (wire support or rack), so it flows both ways.

Lets follow the one along the feedline... It gets to a polyphasor... spark gap or choke, 

good.. it "sees" two paths again... ok.. follow the one on in... and the path to ground may cause induction into? But the one in.. past the spark gap, goes on in.. and flows along ... how far? ... next to? ... towards an unprotected (now) rx amp or tr contact or.... but wait.. how much voltage is it now? How much damage can it really cause?

Consider what the breakdown voltage of that diode junction really is... then consider that the hit had... oh... say 100,000 volts.... and at each divider point it dropped 80 percent... you have two maybe three points?.... lets see.. the math.. oh no.. the math...

80% of 100k.. and 80% of ... and maybe 80% of.... 

guess what... I figure, that you may get close. may get close to saving that diode. 

But... I also figure that my 80%... maybe 90... or it may be 70.... and I would really rather play radio, than play with numbers.... so 

I disconnect... all the radios. and I have still heard the coax zapping, during a storm. 

I'm thinking that is enough to cook a junction. 

 


--... ...-- Dale - WC7S in Wy


 
> 
> Grounding the antenna is not as important as disconnecting the 
> transceiver from the feedline when no in use.
 		 	   		  
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