Bob Miller wrote:

Well, my point was that if there is no ground nut on the Polyphaser,
there are other options that do not require going through an
expensive, bothersome-to-set-up grounding plate. The ICE device has
grounding nuts for a wire. I know other brands do, too. Whether they
are junk or not is subjective opinion.

Actually, not. They have been tested against each other, and one
particular brand is actually harmful -- that is, its design will
INCREASE the chance of damage to your equipment.

BTW, Polyphaser has a bolt that can be used to secure a ground wire --
it just happens to be there primarily to be bolted to a ground window
instead.


I still say the best option, for a casual listener with limited funds,
is to simply disconnect the antenna, the ground wire and the power
line, depending on how stormy the weather is. The lightning arrestors
are pretty, and look neat, but a bolt of lightning can go through them
easily.

....and I'm saying this isn't so. Lightning behaves in many
counterintuitive ways, but it is just a short, high-duration, damped
RF surge. If your system can handle the current for the short
duration, you're fine.

I speak from personal experience. From repeater sites to my car
(which, yes, does have Polyphaser protection in it!), the antenna and
coax are toast from the strike, but the radio gear survives intact.

Again, this is why commercial sites and broadcasters use Polyphaser,
and are rarely taken off the air by the many strikes their towers
take.


If an arrestor it is to be, I notice http://www/thewireman.com has the
ICE arrestors with a device to attach them directly to a ground rod.
(Good place to buy antenna stuff.)

bob
k5qwg



Eric

Thanks again,

Junius

--
Eric F. Richards

"Nature abhors a vacuum tube." -- Myron Glass,
often attributed to J. R. Pierce, Bell Labs, c. 1940

On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 10:18:23 -0700, Eric F. Richards
wrote:



Again, this is why commercial sites and broadcasters use Polyphaser,
and are rarely taken off the air by the many strikes their towers
take.

True, but they also have ground systems in place, designed by
engineers and costing tens of thousands. Not many swls or hams (myself
included) are all that expert in installing a foolproof ground setup.

bob
k5qwg



If an arrestor it is to be, I notice http://www/thewireman.com has the
ICE arrestors with a device to attach them directly to a ground rod.
(Good place to buy antenna stuff.)

bob
k5qwg



Eric

Thanks again,

Junius

Bob Miller wrote:

On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 10:18:23 -0700, Eric F. Richards
wrote:



Again, this is why commercial sites and broadcasters use Polyphaser,
and are rarely taken off the air by the many strikes their towers
take.

True, but they also have ground systems in place, designed by
engineers and costing tens of thousands. Not many swls or hams (myself
included) are all that expert in installing a foolproof ground setup.

It doesn't take much money. It DOES take a completely anal attention
to detail.

I guarantee you I don't have tens of thousands in my ground system,
but I trust it against a direct strike and have experienced many close
(less than 500 feet) strikes near my home and one direct hit on my
car. All radio gear made it (except the stereo in the car, but it
wasn't behind a Polyphaser).


bob
k5qwg



If an arrestor it is to be, I notice http://www/thewireman.com has the
ICE arrestors with a device to attach them directly to a ground rod.
(Good place to buy antenna stuff.)

bob
k5qwg



Eric

Thanks again,

Junius

--
Eric F. Richards

"Nature abhors a vacuum tube." -- Myron Glass,
often attributed to J. R. Pierce, Bell Labs, c. 1940