[Elecraft] Ligntning protection

[John K9UWA]

As Dale stated Polyphaser is the way to go guys.

As to the RISK. I live in Northern Indiana where thunder and lightning are common many times per year. I have three
towers with the top antenna at 175 foot level. Trees here barely make it to 70 feet. So I am IT. There is no DISCONNECT
during such storms. If I ever disconnected this station it would take a couple weeks to do so. Longer to reconnect it. 5 rotors on the
three towers. Twenty Aluminum Yagi antennas for 40-10 meters plus numerous wire antennas. Relay control lines to switch all this
stuff. 

After a rather nasty strike back in 1988 when I first installed a good share of this stuff. Insurance claim was close to 10K. Insurance 
company said: We don't want you. We did find an Assigned Risk Company who took us. They said 90 days to either get all that 
stuff on the ground or install a commercial ground system. 

Yes its lots of work and no its not cheap but let me tell you it does WORK. As Dale stated the Tower has been direct hit many 
times since 1988. Nothing is ever disconnected. Zero Damage has happened. Yes there are 100 ground rods buried in my yard. 
Yes they are connected by 1200 feet of copper 3/8" ID Tubing. It has a lower inductance per foot than 2 inch wide copper strap. 
Plus its cheaper. Same stuff as used to hook up AC systems with. I thought I owned STOCK in Polyphaser for a while.

Contesters maybe used to recognize my callsign K9UWA and today they will recognize K9NW Mike as he operates the station in 
many contests. All with today one little K3 radio. I operate it remotely during the winters from Florida myself.

so YES you can protect your whole station if you are willing to spend a little money and do a little WORK. Certainly beats the 
alternative of trying to find all the things that are messed up after Mother Nature takes its course. The expense really isn't all that 
great when compared to the cost of the radios, amplifiers, computers, TV sets, refrigerators and other things that are blown up by 
the lightning hits.

It is a scary spectacular display when the tower is hit just after dark. Once it happened when we had a birthday party here with 
about 40 friends present. About 1/2 of them were Hams. I think some needed a change of underwear afterwards.

John k9uwa
John Goller, K9UWA & Jean Goller, N9PXF 
Antique Radio Restorations
k9uwa at arrl.net
Visit our Web Site at:
http://www.JohnJeanAntiqueRadio.com
4836 Ranch Road
Leo, IN 46765
USA
1-260-637-6426