Grounding roof antenna?

[Sudy Nim]

Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about 30ft.
roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here (far
Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20 feet
away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line
incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA

 

[Don Bowey]

On 10/27/08 8:30 AM, in article
O8lNk.6902$_Y1.5865@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net, "Sudy Nim"
<pseudonym@noplace.com> wrote:

Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about
30ft.
roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here
(far
Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20
feet
away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line
incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA

Personally, I have never put up a lightning collector without grounding it
in some manner. I think you should ground the tripod and mast, and put a
lightning arrestor on the coax.

 

[GMAN]

In article <C52B38E7.C7E83%dbowey@comcast.net>, Don Bowey <dbowey@comcast.net> wrote:

On 10/27/08 8:30 AM, in article
O8lNk.6902$_Y1.5865@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net, "Sudy Nim"
pseudonym@noplace.com> wrote:

Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about
30ft.
roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here
(far
Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20
feet
away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line
incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA



Personally, I have never put up a lightning collector without grounding it
in some manner. I think you should ground the tripod and mast, and put a
lightning arrestor on the coax.

Agreed, and electrical codes in your state probably requires it. Well then

again with all the liberals running it!!! LOL just kidding.

 

[Leonard Caillouet]

"Sudy Nim" <pseudonym@noplace.com> wrote in message
news:O8lNk.6902$_Y1.5865@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about
30ft.
roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here
(far
Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about
20 feet
away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power
line
incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA

Actually, the instructions likely do detail the grounding requirements. If
not you will likely find them in the first pages of any television, or any
other receiving equipment. The mast for the antenna and the coax shield
must both be grounded to the ground electrode on your electrical service.

Leonard

 

[PeterD]

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:30:54 GMT, "Sudy Nim" <pseudonym@noplace.com>
wrote:

Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about 30ft.
roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here (far
Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20 feet
away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line
incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA

Code usually requires grounding.

 

[Sudy Nim]

"PeterD" <peter2@hipson.net> wrote in message
news9icg4pq529ft44brca1rsp6nckavjt513@4ax.com...

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:30:54 GMT, "Sudy Nim" <pseudonym@noplace.com
wrote:

Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about
30ft.
roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here
(far
Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20
feet
away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line
incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA


Code usually requires grounding.

Thanks to all, appreciate your replies. I wired it to ground today.
Sudy Nim

 

[hr(bob) hofmann@att.net]

On Oct 28, 2:23 pm, "Sudy Nim" <pseudo...@noplace.com> wrote:

"PeterD" <pet...@hipson.net> wrote in message

news9icg4pq529ft44brca1rsp6nckavjt513@4ax.com...

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:30:54 GMT, "Sudy Nim" <pseudo...@noplace.com
wrote:

Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about
30ft.
roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here
(far
Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20
feet
away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line
incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA

Code usually requires grounding.

Thanks to all, appreciate your replies. I wired it to ground today.
Sudy Nim

I hope you used a wire somewhat bigger than 26 gauge. Altho a direct
lightning strike of 20,000 amps or more will vaporize anything you
could reasonably use, the ground will help in the event of a nearby
strike. How far west of Chicago are you. I'm 28 miles out and we
get some humdingers here.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

"hr(bob) hofmann@att.net" wrote:

On Oct 28, 2:23 pm, "Sudy Nim" <pseudo...@noplace.com> wrote:
"PeterD" <pet...@hipson.net> wrote in message

news9icg4pq529ft44brca1rsp6nckavjt513@4ax.com...

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:30:54 GMT, "Sudy Nim" <pseudo...@noplace.com
wrote:

Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about
30ft.
roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here
(far
Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20
feet
away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power line
incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA

Code usually requires grounding.

Thanks to all, appreciate your replies. I wired it to ground today.
Sudy Nim

I hope you used a wire somewhat bigger than 26 gauge. Altho a direct
lightning strike of 20,000 amps or more will vaporize anything you
could reasonably use, the ground will help in the event of a nearby
strike. How far west of Chicago are you. I'm 28 miles out and we
get some humdingers here.

Let me know when you have over 1400 strikes in an hour.


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There are two kinds of people on this earth:
The crazy, and the insane.
The first sign of insanity is denying that you're crazy.

 

[GMAN]

In article <ZOWdncvKO4QFVJrUnZ2dnUVZ_qXinZ2d@earthlink.com>, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:

"hr(bob) hofmann@att.net" wrote:

On Oct 28, 2:23 pm, "Sudy Nim" <pseudo...@noplace.com> wrote:
"PeterD" <pet...@hipson.net> wrote in message

news9icg4pq529ft44brca1rsp6nckavjt513@4ax.com...

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:30:54 GMT, "Sudy Nim" <pseudo...@noplace.com
wrote:

Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole
(about
30ft.
roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived
here
(far
Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about
20
feet
away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power
line
incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA

Code usually requires grounding.

Thanks to all, appreciate your replies. I wired it to ground today.
Sudy Nim

I hope you used a wire somewhat bigger than 26 gauge. Altho a direct
lightning strike of 20,000 amps or more will vaporize anything you
could reasonably use, the ground will help in the event of a nearby
strike. How far west of Chicago are you. I'm 28 miles out and we
get some humdingers here.


Let me know when you have over 1400 strikes in an hour.


You havent seen lightning till you have lived with a desert on one side and a

mountain range on the other side like we have here in Northern Utah.

Having a huge inland sea/lake primarily made out of salt from prehistoric
Lake Bonneville a few miles from your front door doesnt help either.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

GMAN wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Let me know when you have over 1400 strikes in an hour.

You havent seen lightning till you have lived with a desert on one side and a
mountain range on the other side like we have here in Northern Utah.

Having a huge inland sea/lake primarily made out of salt from prehistoric
Lake Bonneville a few miles from your front door doesnt help either.

Yawn. The Central Florida area is the highest lightning area in the
country. Water everywhere, and almost as flat as your desert. I have
been inside buildings with no windows that were lit up like daylight
from the constant strikes. So close together that one hasn't completely
faded away before another one hits. The thunder so bad that the entire
building was shaking for over an hour, with no electricity, plus wind
and rain so hard you didn't dare step outside.

I have seen concrete buildings damaged, and lost a lot of electronics
as well. One TV studio got a direct hit on the building, past the
service entrance, and took out all kinds of equipment, including items
that weren't connected to anything.


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your account: http://www.usenettools.net/ISP.htm


There are two kinds of people on this earth:
The crazy, and the insane.
The first sign of insanity is denying that you're crazy.

 

[GMAN]

In article <2bKdnRc2RZOuP5XUnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@earthlink.com>, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:

GMAN wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Let me know when you have over 1400 strikes in an hour.

You havent seen lightning till you have lived with a desert on one side and a
mountain range on the other side like we have here in Northern Utah.

Having a huge inland sea/lake primarily made out of salt from prehistoric
Lake Bonneville a few miles from your front door doesnt help either.

Yawn.

Yawn????? LOL!!!!!!!!


You aint heard nothing till you hear thunder echo back and forth between two
mountain ranges.

http://icons-pe.wunderground.com/data/wximagenew/e/EyesToTheSky/222.jpg
http://peterhuston.files.wordpress.com/2006/09/wasatch-2.jpg
http://www.servicepals.com/gallery/data/357/35763/salt_lake_city.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/328630197_0c5dd7bb78.jpg?v=0




The Central Florida area is the highest lightning area in the

country. Water everywhere, and almost as flat as your desert. I have
been inside buildings with no windows that were lit up like daylight
from the constant strikes. So close together that one hasn't completely
faded away before another one hits. The thunder so bad that the entire
building was shaking for over an hour, with no electricity, plus wind
and rain so hard you didn't dare step outside.

I have seen concrete buildings damaged, and lost a lot of electronics
as well. One TV studio got a direct hit on the building, past the
service entrance, and took out all kinds of equipment, including items
that weren't connected to anything.

 

[GregS]

In article <2bKdnRc2RZOuP5XUnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@earthlink.com>, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:

GMAN wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Let me know when you have over 1400 strikes in an hour.

You havent seen lightning till you have lived with a desert on one side and a
mountain range on the other side like we have here in Northern Utah.

Having a huge inland sea/lake primarily made out of salt from prehistoric
Lake Bonneville a few miles from your front door doesnt help either.

Yawn. The Central Florida area is the highest lightning area in the
country. Water everywhere, and almost as flat as your desert. I have
been inside buildings with no windows that were lit up like daylight
from the constant strikes. So close together that one hasn't completely
faded away before another one hits. The thunder so bad that the entire
building was shaking for over an hour, with no electricity, plus wind
and rain so hard you didn't dare step outside.

I have seen concrete buildings damaged, and lost a lot of electronics
as well. One TV studio got a direct hit on the building, past the
service entrance, and took out all kinds of equipment, including items
that weren't connected to anything.

Like the warming trend here in Pittsburgh, well this last summer was not as hot
as the previous two, but all the leaves are usually on the ground, or at
least thats the way it was 10 years ago. Its been unusually quiet
as thunder storms go. I sort of miss them. We have hill after hill, after hill, etc.
The worst and most trecherous sounding storm I have encountered, was up
right off Lake Erie, on flat land. I was scarred.

I was installing some guy poles off my new deck for a sun shade, out
of steel piping. I also attached some wiring to a ground post.
First time I ever put one of those long things in the ground. I still want to ground the steel
roof of my shed attached to the garage.


greg

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

GMAN wrote:

In article <2bKdnRc2RZOuP5XUnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@earthlink.com>, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote:

GMAN wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Let me know when you have over 1400 strikes in an hour.

You havent seen lightning till you have lived with a desert on one side and a
mountain range on the other side like we have here in Northern Utah.

Having a huge inland sea/lake primarily made out of salt from prehistoric
Lake Bonneville a few miles from your front door doesnt help either.

Yawn.

Yawn????? LOL!!!!!!!!

You aint heard nothing till you hear thunder echo back and forth between two
mountain ranges.

http://icons-pe.wunderground.com/data/wximagenew/e/EyesToTheSky/222.jpg
http://peterhuston.files.wordpress.com/2006/09/wasatch-2.jpg
http://www.servicepals.com/gallery/data/357/35763/salt_lake_city.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/328630197_0c5dd7bb78.jpg?v=0

Ever hear of Delta Junction, or Ft. Greely Alaska?


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http://improve-usenet.org/index.html

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There are two kinds of people on this earth:
The crazy, and the insane.
The first sign of insanity is denying that you're crazy.

 

Someone mention using a thick wire for grounding..I was wondering if
that really was needed..by grounding the antenna isn't that just
changing the charge potential between the antenna and the ground.

 

[Bob Shuman]

My understanding is that the antenna ground wire is to provide an
"alternate" path for the very large, near instantaneous current (either
from ground to the sky/lightnining or from the lightning to the ground,
depending on the difference in the voltage potentials) that occurs when the
lightning "strikes" the metal mast.

Too small a conductor and it will be quickly vaporized leaving the current
to find its way to ground via some other (more destructive) path. Even if
the ground wire is of sufficient diameter to withstand the lightning strike,
it also needs to be as low of a resistance on that path as possible since
some portion of the current will nonetheless follow the path down the coax
based on the impedances seen in those two "parallel" paths to ground. The
goal here is simply to minimize any current down the coax so proper
attention needs to be given to the construction and length of the ground
conductor as well as the terminations on both ends too.

Bob

<Ridgetopbooks@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3v2jg4904jc1elgabum8cloh0nkb09b4tn@4ax.com...

Someone mention using a thick wire for grounding..I was wondering if
that really was needed..by grounding the antenna isn't that just
changing the charge potential between the antenna and the ground.

 

[GregS]

In article <4909c5cb$1@news.alcatel.com>, "Bob Shuman" <reshuman@removethis.alcatel-lucent.com> wrote:

My understanding is that the antenna ground wire is to provide an
"alternate" path for the very large, near instantaneous current (either
from ground to the sky/lightnining or from the lightning to the ground,
depending on the difference in the voltage potentials) that occurs when the
lightning "strikes" the metal mast.

Too small a conductor and it will be quickly vaporized leaving the current
to find its way to ground via some other (more destructive) path. Even if
the ground wire is of sufficient diameter to withstand the lightning strike,
it also needs to be as low of a resistance on that path as possible since
some portion of the current will nonetheless follow the path down the coax
based on the impedances seen in those two "parallel" paths to ground. The
goal here is simply to minimize any current down the coax so proper
attention needs to be given to the construction and length of the ground
conductor as well as the terminations on both ends too.

Bob

Ridgetopbooks@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3v2jg4904jc1elgabum8cloh0nkb09b4tn@4ax.com...
Someone mention using a thick wire for grounding..I was wondering if
that really was needed..by grounding the antenna isn't that just
changing the charge potential between the antenna and the ground.

I would agree with the path of least resistance, but as far as a single strike,
vaporizing the conductor is not going to stop the lightning like a fuse.. The vapor or plasma
probably has some conductivity anyway.

greg

 

[Sudy Nim]

"hr(bob) hofmann@att.net" <hrhofmann@att.net> wrote in message
news:43c79f1d-ec27-48f6-b26e-fed51b59aed1@64g2000hsm.googlegroups.com...
On Oct 28, 2:23 pm, "Sudy Nim" <pseudo...@noplace.com> wrote:

"PeterD" <pet...@hipson.net> wrote in message

news9icg4pq529ft44brca1rsp6nckavjt513@4ax.com...

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:30:54 GMT, "Sudy Nim" <pseudo...@noplace.com
wrote:

Installed new roof antenna, with new tripod mount and 10 foot pole (about
30ft.
roof to soil). Instructions say nothing about grounding. I have lived here
(far
Chicago suburbs) 44 years and always connected tripod to soil pipe about 20
feet
away. Never had a problem with lighting strike, excluding several power
line
incidents. Question to ground or not to ground? TIA

Code usually requires grounding.

Thanks to all, appreciate your replies. I wired it to ground today.
Sudy Nim

I hope you used a wire somewhat bigger than 26 gauge. Altho a direct
lightning strike of 20,000 amps or more will vaporize anything you
could reasonably use, the ground will help in the event of a nearby
strike. How far west of Chicago are you. I'm 28 miles out and we
get some humdingers here.

I used 1/8 inch galvanized wire rope. The grounding question appears to have
influenced some related interesting discussions. My property is in kind of a

valley, I'm about 20 feet lower than the surrounding area. The only lighting
problems I experienced at home are power line strikes, which resulted in blown
power line transformers, damaged TV's, appliances and burned out wall outlets.
Prior to retirement I made my living in the TV service industry so I have
personally seen the results of lighting. I often pondered if grounding the
antenna just attracts lighting? Just as I can not visualize how a radio or TV
dropped into a bathtub of water would electrocute you. But, I'll let someone
else experiment with that. Looks, as if we could be neighbors, you must know of
DuPage County?

 

[Sjouke Burry]

Ridgetopbooks@yahoo.com wrote:

Someone mention using a thick wire for grounding..I was wondering if
that really was needed..by grounding the antenna isn't that just
changing the charge potential between the antenna and the ground.
Lightning is 100...1000 ths of amps.

A low resistance part to ground means less damage on
attached equipment, and less chance of starting a fire inside.
That also means, no curves and bends, to lessen inductivity.

 

[Bob Shuman]

Neighbor,

I too am living west of Chicago, IL in western Dupage County.

Bob

"Sudy Nim" <pseudonym@noplace.com> wrote in message news:rKoOk.10353

Looks, as if we could be neighbors, you must know of
DuPage County?

 

[hr(bob) hofmann@att.net]

On Oct 30, 6:35 pm, "Bob Shuman" <no_spam_...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Neighbor,

I too am living west of Chicago, IL in western Dupage County.

  Bob



"Sudy Nim" <pseudo...@noplace.com> wrote in message news:rKoOk.10353
Looks, as if we could be neighbors, you must know of
DuPage County?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Bob H is Bob Hofmann retired from Bell Labs EMC group in Naperville,
IL. I put myself thru college in the 1950's installing towers and
antennas and vacuum tube antenna boosters in Fort PIerce, Florida.
After a good summer storm, we could count on getting calls from people
whose tower amplifiers had been blown apart and whose 300 ohm twin
lead if intact had no conductivity because the copper had ben
vaporized into the poyethelene or what poastic was used for the
downleads. Nearest tv station was Miami, 125 miles away, so
amplifiers on towers was the only way to get signals. When West Palm
Beach went on the air, only 57 miles away, people began to get serious
about buying tv's since roofotp antennas becanme somewhat
practical.....