[Elecraft] Lightning in New Mexico

[Don Wilhelm]

  Phil,

Despite disconnecting your antennas, you still have to consider that the 
coax shields enter the house.

Yes, ground rod #2 (and #3 and all others) are to be bonded to the AC 
Electrical Entry ground rod.

I am not sure why that is counterintuitive to you.  Yes, there is a very 
real possibility that a lightning surge will be induced in the house 
wiring with or without the connection between the grounds.  But if there 
is a lightning surge on either the antennas or the house wiring, you 
want to keep both at the same potential.

Keeping everything at the same potential during a lightning surge event 
is what the bonding is all about.

A lightning surge traveling through the earth can create a very large 
difference in potential between ground rods that are not connected 
together, and that potential difference can cause fires and damage.  The 
soil has more resistance than a wire between the ground rods.

Look at the 2010 (or 2011) ARRL Handbook chapter on Safety - the fact 
that ALL ground rods should be connected together is clearly stated.

One other point on disconnecting your antennas - consider what happens 
when you re-connect them.  The PL-259 center conductor is connected 
first, and then the shell is attached.  If there is a charge on the coax 
center conductor, you can zap your equipment by the simple act of 
re-connecting it.  Short the center conductor to the grounded shell 
before connecting it to your equipment.  It is better to disconnect the 
antennas with a switch in the coax line and provide a DC path to ground 
across the common coax connector at that switch.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 3/29/2011 1:12 AM, Phil Townsend wrote:
> I have beat into the dirt another 8' foot ground rod(G.R. #2) next to the outside coax switch
> and have installed a Poly Phasor on the output coax that goes into the shack and poly phasors on each of the coax cables from the antennas.
> All the poly phasor's ground lugs are connected to ground rod #2. (Each Poly phasor has its own wire going to ground rod #2)
>
> This remote coax switch and ground rod #2 are about 12 feet from the AC mains.
>
> If I understand correctly, I should also bond this ground rod #2 to the the AC mains ground rod as well????
>
> But if I do that then those antennas will be connected to the grounds in the house via the AC mains ground rod?????
> This seems counterintuitive? I mean... now there will be the very real possibility of lightning in the house wiring???
>