[Lowfer] Medfer Antenna.

[Jim]

> A tower is not a ground system.  It is a ground CONNECTION if the
> device makes electrical connection to the tower, and the tower
> itself is grounded. 

I'll play devil's advocate on this. I do see your point and I'm not sure 
whether I agree or disagree. But to me there is another side that has at 
least some validity.

Putting it in ham radio terms, if I've got a vertical mounted up at 50 feet 
and I run three radials out from it, the radials are really the "RF ground" 
system. So my "RF ground" connection is made at the point where I connect to 
the radials. And all of that just happens to be 50 feet up a tower that's 
bonded to earth grounds at the bottom for safety reasons.

Even if those radials are connected to a tower and that tower is bonded 
to "ground" (which isn't necessarily the same as "RF ground"), the radials 
are still the "RF ground" system.

I totally agree that people tend to play games with the semantics of how the 
regulations are worded. But I do think there is a valid argument that there 
are two types of grounds--one for RF and the other for safety and surge 
protection. It's easy to blur the line between the two--intentionally or 
unintentionally. And the regulations don't specify which ground they are 
talking about, although I think that assuming they are only talking about "RF 
ground" is reasonable.

Just my two cents worth and definitely not trying to argumentative. But I do 
think there are two sides to the discussion. And, like I said earlier, I can 
see points for both sides.

73 de
Jim W4JBM

Receiver - Ten Tec RX320D
Antenna - Butternut Vertical (SW) and mini-whip (LF)
Location - Bowdon Junction, GA  USA (33.6581,-85.1249 EM73)

http://www.hamuniverse.com/w4jbm/

"With a soldering iron in one hand, a schematic in the other, and a puzzled 
look on his face..."

Working the world from the New Dog Iron Ranch!