Jeff Dieterle wrote:

I'm installing a 60ft self-supporting tower. It will have a vhf/uhf antenna
with rotator and a couple of satellite dishes on it. The tower will be set
in a concrete apprx. 4'x4'x4'. Is driving a copper clad 5/8"x8ft ground rod
and attaching a #6cu ground wire to the tower leg sufficient.
I live in a heavily wooded area and have lost several modems to lighting
strikes. Now when it looks like thunder 2 states away I unplug them on my
computers and Directv receivers.



Check with your local building inspector. The National Electrical Code and your
local zoning have requirements for proper grounding.

Basically, the ground at your home is the ground rod at the service panel for
your electrical service.

When I installed my last tower each leg had to be connected to an 8 foot ground
rod with #6 AWG. Each of the ground rods had to be interconnected. And, the
total connection, towers and rods, connected to the service entrance ground by
#6 AWG run EXTERNAL to the house. [Keep current OUTSIDE the house]. This met
insurance requirements. But, as mentioned in another response, it does little
for protection from a nearby or direct lightning strike to your radio equipment.

The tower will be 350ft from my house's service entrance ground. After
getting you-all's feedback I make sure all the rebar in the tower base is
electrically connected and the rebar is attached to a perimeter ground
system with a rod at each leg. I'm also researching what type of lighting
protecting devices I will install on the coax, this may attach to my service
entrance ground.

But I can't see the need to connect the tower grounding system to my service
entrance ground when it's 350ft away. Was meeting the insurance requirements
part of a spec. written in the policy regarding residential towers ? What
section of the NEC deals with tower grounding ?



"Dave" wrote in message
. ..
Jeff Dieterle wrote:

I'm installing a 60ft self-supporting tower. It will have a vhf/uhf
antenna with rotator and a couple of satellite dishes on it. The tower
will be set in a concrete apprx. 4'x4'x4'. Is driving a copper clad
5/8"x8ft ground rod and attaching a #6cu ground wire to the tower leg
sufficient.
I live in a heavily wooded area and have lost several modems to lighting
strikes. Now when it looks like thunder 2 states away I unplug them on my
computers and Directv receivers.

Check with your local building inspector. The National Electrical Code and
your local zoning have requirements for proper grounding.

Basically, the ground at your home is the ground rod at the service panel
for your electrical service.

When I installed my last tower each leg had to be connected to an 8 foot
ground rod with #6 AWG. Each of the ground rods had to be interconnected.
And, the total connection, towers and rods, connected to the service
entrance ground by #6 AWG run EXTERNAL to the house. [Keep current OUTSIDE
the house]. This met insurance requirements. But, as mentioned in another
response, it does little for protection from a nearby or direct lightning
strike to your radio equipment.

Jeff;

Some years ago I destroyed a log of expensive ($1,000 each) IBM computer
boards because I failed to install grounding devices at the exit from
one building and the entrance of another building when I installed
remote terminals for the company computer. There was a significant
voltage difference between the two buildings even though they were only
twenty feet apart and both were well grounded by themselves. I still had
to install a bonding wire between them.

You will encounter the same situation between your tower and shack. A
few feet of copper is cheap insurance. Three hundred fifty feet will
generate significant voltage that may or may not cause you a problem.

Dave WD9BDZ


Jeff Dieterle wrote:
The tower will be 350ft from my house's service entrance ground. After
getting you-all's feedback I make sure all the rebar in the tower base is
electrically connected and the rebar is attached to a perimeter ground
system with a rod at each leg. I'm also researching what type of lighting
protecting devices I will install on the coax, this may attach to my service
entrance ground.

But I can't see the need to connect the tower grounding system to my service
entrance ground when it's 350ft away. Was meeting the insurance requirements
part of a spec. written in the policy regarding residential towers ? What
section of the NEC deals with tower grounding ?



"Dave" wrote in message
. ..

Jeff Dieterle wrote:


I'm installing a 60ft self-supporting tower. It will have a vhf/uhf
antenna with rotator and a couple of satellite dishes on it. The tower
will be set in a concrete apprx. 4'x4'x4'. Is driving a copper clad
5/8"x8ft ground rod and attaching a #6cu ground wire to the tower leg
sufficient.
I live in a heavily wooded area and have lost several modems to lighting
strikes. Now when it looks like thunder 2 states away I unplug them on my
computers and Directv receivers.

Check with your local building inspector. The National Electrical Code and
your local zoning have requirements for proper grounding.

Basically, the ground at your home is the ground rod at the service panel
for your electrical service.

When I installed my last tower each leg had to be connected to an 8 foot
ground rod with #6 AWG. Each of the ground rods had to be interconnected.
And, the total connection, towers and rods, connected to the service
entrance ground by #6 AWG run EXTERNAL to the house. [Keep current OUTSIDE
the house]. This met insurance requirements. But, as mentioned in another
response, it does little for protection from a nearby or direct lightning
strike to your radio equipment.