[Kenwood] Lightning protection wire antennas WA8OPR

Wed May 14 15:39:54 EDT 2014

ON this note of using a spiked deal. I have seen them use sparkplugs 
allot to do this and was wondering if this practice is as good as what 
the topic is about. hook the spark plugs to wires and the other side of 
spark plug to a grounded section or bar or a griound stake even. I saw 1 
where the actually ran a ground stake 8' into ground and then tied the 
sprak plug setup right on top of the rod and used it to hold the spark 
gap parts and ground it out somehow. I need to go back and read more but 
in the end will this do for a decent ground protection over just 
disconnecting from shack some how like a knife switch. I use a switch 
now and wish to have better but did not know if this type would work or 
not. I use a Skywire loop wire up at 45' in tree's also. so I am 
watching this thread to see where it ends up. if you feel spark plugs 
will work as written up in the arrl books and many others I will start 
right away. main ? is what type of plug as non or the articals I read 
said anything about the plugs themselves. I would assume a simple car 
plug but they are resistive in soe of them and other problems can make 
it not as low a ground as your other side of the gap may be if you use 
wrong plugs. it is 1 plug per wire in my case but a single wire it 
sounds like a nice simple choice to me. old sparkplugs and a ground side 
is all it takes.
Fred
ke5htb
On 5/14/2014 1:43 PM, rbethman wrote:
> I would reiterate the ARRL '75 Antenna Handbook, along with numerous 
> editions of the "West Coast" Handbook, both - have a methodology of 
> pointed elements outside, with a gap, significantly smaller than the 
> 2.5" that use heavy copper to have the lightning jump the much smaller 
> gap to the piece that is grounded.
>> OT'ers used this with uninsulated open wire feeds. It will work just 
> as easily with one single wire outfitted the same way.
>> The lightning will seek the most direct path to ground.
>> YMMV.
>> Bob - N0DGN
>> On 5/14/2014 2:13 PM, Kenneth G. Gordon wrote:
>> Yes. Rotor wires were not grounded, thereby defeating some of the
>> protection provided by the grounded tower.
>>>> The whole field of lightning-research is very complex.
>>>> However, as I said, a PROPERLY grounded and elevated conductive
>> structure TENDS to provide protection against nearby lightning strikes.
>>>> And to reiterate: a 2.5" gap is most certainly no protection at all.
>>>> Ken W7EKB
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-- 
Fred Rugar
HAM RADIO OPERATOR - KE5HTB
AEC ARES Bee County TX
RACES ASSISTANT CLO BEE COUNTY
SKYWARN MEMBER BEE COUNTY
VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER BEE COUNTY. (W5BEE RADIO STATION AT THE EOC)