attach antenna to ground during lightning
 

A lightning storm is approaching. Standard operating procedures are
to detach antenna from equipment, and then "attach the antenna to
ground".

Maybe they are talking about outside operations at the base of towers.
I'm just interested in what to do, without leaving my room, about the
dangling cord I have just detached from equipment. Seems to me if I
attach it to ground, it will just make the antenna more attractive to
lightning strikes, vs. just leaving the cord dangling.

Maybe I will let the end dangle 30 cm from grounding metal, and away
from everything else.

"Dan Jacobson" wrote in message
...
A lightning storm is approaching. Standard operating procedures are
to detach antenna from equipment, and then "attach the antenna to
ground".

Maybe they are talking about outside operations at the base of towers.
I'm just interested in what to do, without leaving my room, about the
dangling cord I have just detached from equipment. Seems to me if I
attach it to ground, it will just make the antenna more attractive to
lightning strikes, vs. just leaving the cord dangling.

Maybe I will let the end dangle 30 cm from grounding metal, and away
from everything else.

Dan, from everything written in the extensive posts of this group (see
"Lightning xx" posts of early 2004) the attraction is already there, only
you invite it into all parts of your shack whether 30cm or not with an open
feedline. Grounding or disconnecting the antenna outside was preferred by
most experts here, but I have a friend who was devastated by lightning even
though he did that from his tower. So mine are now grounded inside to a
very, very low impedance path to deep ground rods, as are all equipment in
the shack. Since you are not talking about a tower, you probably have more
chance of being struck on the house or rooftop masts than outside dipoles
strung between trees with buried feedlines, as is the case with my systems.

Jack

Dan Jacobson
...what to do...
...about the dangling cord...

I had a foot-long (happened to see it!) lightning-induced spark jump
from the disconnected and dangling antenna cable, RG8 coax from my 80m
dipole, onto the Morse code key cable. It killed four T/R switching
transistors in my rig - all associated with the key input. Eventually
fixed the rig myself...phew!

I guess I should have dangled the antenna cable just a bit further
away from the expensive things - he he.

73.

PS - don't disconnect it DURING the lightning storm...

Dan,
Tie a string on the end of it and then throw it out the
window (hang onto the string).
'Doc

'Doc wrote:


Dan,
Tie a string on the end of it and then throw it out the
window (hang onto the string).
'Doc

Ben Franklin already ran that experiment!!

Dave,
Yes! Shocking, isn't it?
'Doc