[Kenwood] Lightning protection wire antennas WA8OPR

Wed May 14 16:29:49 EDT 2014

Fred,
I would be hesitant, personally, to use a spark plug.
Mt reasoning is based on using a BC-610 for a transmitter, the 400W 
carrier would very likely jump the spark plug gap with ease. That 
doesn't even consider the high power when 100% modulated.
I already know the arc I get when I use a High Voltage Probe that has 
100s of megohm resistors from the probe tip, through the meter, and out 
the ground clip.
I easily pull 0.5" arc with it. This of course will very based on what 
radios are being used.
Bob - N0DGN
On 5/14/2014 3:39 PM, Fred wrote:
> 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