Re: Use a Ground or Lightning Rod?


"W. eWatson" <notvalid2@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:fpTXl.31440$Ws1.17163@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Last week we had a terrific lightning storm, and it hit the TV mast,
rotor, and antenna. That was witnessed by a neighbor. Although I had
turned off a lot of computer equipment and unplugged quite a bit of it, I
was on a trip but my wife was here, it knocked out the internet card on
this computer and a hub in another building. Interestingly, the hub was
not hooked to the electrical outlet. I had pulled it out. The rotor
controller got zapped too. All else was fine. Maybe I just haven't used
some other device that was damaged.

Terrain-wise we are really exposed, but do not have frequent lightning
storms. There are no big trees near the house, and none higher than the
house. Well, one. A ponderosa 50 feet from the house. We are at the
highest point in the sparsely populated neighborhood. The closest home to
us is 200'. The older neighbors around here said the storm last week was
easily the strongest and most dynamic they've seen in there some 30 years
here. No one thought to take pictures!

I'm quite sure the rotor, antenna, and mast are not grounded. The question
becomes how to deal with a future strike. One is to ground the mast and
rotor. Another is to just put up a lightning rod on the roof. Another is
to just take down the antenna completely. We really don't use it any more.
I've left it in place with some thought I might want to use it for local
stations, which really are 60 miles away. Otherwise, we are on DirecTV.
--
W. eWatson

(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet

Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>

Take down the antenna, It can't get hit if its not there.
If you ground it you have a lightning rod.
Keep in mind that lightning rods are not for getting hit, they are for
preventing hits by keeping the field bled off.
If you like you can put some lightning rods on your house.
Surge protect all sensitive equipment at the power line and protect any
incoming non-power line.
A direct hit is beyond what mere mortals can tame.

Tom


.

Relevant Pages

  • Use a Ground or Lightning Rod?
    ... Last week we had a terrific lightning storm, and it hit the TV mast, rotor, and antenna. ... That was witnessed by a neighbor. ...
    (sci.electronics.basics)
  • Re: Use a Ground or Lightning Rod?
    ... The rotor controller got zapped too. ... There are no big trees near the house, and none higher than the house. ... I'm quite sure the rotor, antenna, and mast are not grounded. ... Another is to just put up a lightning rod on the roof. ...
    (sci.electronics.basics)
  • Re: Use a Ground or Lightning Rod?
    ... The rotor controller got zapped too. ... There are no big trees near the house, and none higher than the house. ... I'm quite sure the rotor, antenna, and mast are not grounded. ... Keep in mind that lightning rods are not for getting hit, they are for preventing hits by keeping the field bled off. ...
    (sci.electronics.basics)
  • Re: Antenna Rotor expert needed
    ... WHich wire goes to which terminal. ... The wires on the motor end are not visible from the ground and its not feasable to pull the antenna down without 30 people to help. ... Open up the rotor control box, maybe the installer left a drawing inside. ... In cloudy weather in the middle of night, I always found trying to nail distant city stations to be quite fun. ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: Grounding Question(s)
    ... for grounding an OTA antenna. ... What's the difference between a grounded antenna on top of your house and ... After being hit twice within the first year I ... is no longer a lightning rod. ...
    (alt.tv.tech.hdtv)