[Elecraft] Lightning in New Mexico

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

The rules for grounding work much the same as the rules for anti-static
protection on the bench - keep everything at the SAME potential. Tying
antenna grounds to mains grounds means that you are not likely to see a
deadly potential difference between antennas or equipment even if, in the
event of a nearby strike, the whole system jumps hundreds of volts above
actual earth ground due to the resistance of the ground connection. And, as
others pointed out, there's the danger of a defective mains ground. From
what electricians have told me, that is more common than we realize.

Years ago when water pipes were metal they were also bonded to the same
ground. Of course, they provide their own ground, being buried, so bonding
them prevented the possibility of another "independent" ground in the house.
(Sometimes cold water pipes were used as *the* ground. In WWII vintage
homes, I've seen the mains ground tied to a iron water pipe with a clamp. Of
course, eventually the buried pipe rusts through and it gets replaced with
more durable plastic pipe, and if no one ever upgraded the ground
system...). AFAIK (I'm not a journeyman electrician) those grounds haven't
been legal for years, but a lot of homes have been around longer than that. 

Ron AC7AC



-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Phil Townsend
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 10:13 PM
To: Elecraft Reflector
Subject: [Elecraft] Lightning in New Mexico

The ground rod (#1) I placed just outside my shack/ house is about 16 or 17
feet from the meter/ ground rod that connects to the AC mains.  
So if I run a bunch of fat parallel wires that are bonded to BOTH ground
rods that will be a good thing to do. (and required...by law)(knock on the
the door ITS the ground police)


As a matter of fact during the lightning season I disconnect the antennas
from my gear when it looks like the Wx is gonna go south. (South,??? why not
North???)

Antennas consist of a 20 meter Gap vertical and nested marconi for 40m and
80m at 24 feet... Kinda like a dipole.
These antennas run to an outside remote coax switch. 
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???

Again Thank you for your help!!!


Phil
Santa Fe

P.S... We get lightning almost as bad as Florida. 
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