Doctnj Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 This is what it looks like when you rent a hammer drill for the weekend and then turns out you can shove it in the ground bare handed with a couple light taps with an actual hammer. Can not explain it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdmiralCochrane Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 The only thing better is clearing the mulch and finding a rod already attached to your house; no its not the electric service ground, that's on the other side of the house. I just pulled my grounds to it and clamped it on. I might drive the second rod in and attach it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctnj Posted May 8, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 49 minutes ago, AdmiralCochrane said: The only thing better is clearing the mulch and finding a rod already attached to your house; no its not the electric service ground, that's on the other side of the house. I just pulled my grounds to it and clamped it on. I might drive the second rod in and attach it anyway. I put in a pool years back and took hours to pound in a rod. This one is around the corner but 8' up from foundation in basement. The ground rod for pool was just started at the depth in the soil. The dirt on side of house is dirt taken from basement and used to fill in. So maybe not as much rock. If you don't haul in dirt, the back yard will resemble a gravel road. I guess an up shot on this is this will make the third ground rod tied in to our house. However I have lost two HD projectors and two receivers and 7 channel amplifier. An on top of it all, all utilities are underground. HDMI ports a very susceptible surges. Now it's become part of my prestorm routine to unplug everything to protect everything in the movie mostly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdmiralCochrane Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 My house has 2 old wells still connected to the grounding. The foundling rod is probably early cable TV ground, my electric service has its original in the basement rod and a newer outdoor rod. I still lost a power supply buffer board in an HF rig last summer in a strike 60 ft from the house. The neighbors lost 2 TV's and 2 window shakers. . Now I have a Rig Runner power supply block that I disconnect everything from when not in use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkylinesSuck Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 Do antennas attract more lightening than normal? I understand the physics and technicals of it, but from practical experience, does it happen a lot? I properly ground everything, but I am very inclined to leave everything plugged in and not worry about it. I have a lot more expensive equipment than my GMRS radios plugged in and I have never decided it was worth it to go unplug everything before a potential lightning storm. I'm more worried about safety than anything else. I wonder if home owners insurance covers lightning strikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidphc Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 This is what it looks like when you rent a hammer drill for the weekend and then turns out you can shove it in the ground bare handed with a couple light taps with an actual hammer. Can not explain itSorry. Rather that then cussing pounding it and wishing you had the hammer drill right? Might as well pound some more in, not.Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctnj Posted May 8, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 I would have actually bet my life I would not have been able to do that and really expected it to take a while with the rotory hammer. I do have another question along the same line "grounding". I have a bar to mount the surgery protector on but can't seem to find a clamp as a pass through clamp that will mount on the bar. The holes are 1" centers or 3/4" center depending on the direction of mounting. I pretty sure one that I saw was a square with a single mounting bolt and a screw to clamp down on wire. Im sure there is a metric ton of talk about grounding. I'm just first trying to source the clamp I saw. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidphc Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Is this what you are talking about?https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-ucgc-zSent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbrun Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Do antennas attract more lightening than normal? I understand the physics and technicals of it, but from practical experience, does it happen a lot? I properly ground everything, but I am very inclined to leave everything plugged in and not worry about it. I have a lot more expensive equipment than my GMRS radios plugged in and I have never decided it was worth it to go unplug everything before a potential lightning storm. I'm more worried about safety than anything else. I wonder if home owners insurance covers lightning strikes.My understanding is no, generally speaking. Your antenna is no more likely to take a direct hit than you, a tree or some other structure in your vicinity. Your antenna becomes just another of millions of potential other targets in the area. Perhaps if you were mounting it substantially above (say 5 times and more) above the average elevation of other structures in your area you might find a statistically greater chance of a direct hit. This past year I watched a science episode where they spent time on this subject. Super tall structures (think spire on top of a tall downtown tower, or a 1000’ tall broadcast TV antenna tower) reportedly do have a statistically significant increase in likelihood of a direct strike. My recollection of the research reported is that in areas that are already prone to lighting strikes, the area including and immediately around the area of highest average elevation (manmade or natural) was more prone to get hit than the lower average area 2 miles or more away. For example, the area including and immediately surrounding a mountain will take more direct hits than the flat area 2 miles or more a way from the mountain, and similarly with metro areas with loads of skyscrapers. I have heard (but have not researched to confirm) that some insurance companies do not cover damage to electronics any longer unless the house is properly grounded per the code and either has a whole-house surge suppressor or the individual products damaged where connected to local surge suppressors at the time of incident. I also understand that where an antenna is involved, the antenna also needs to have been property grounded per code also.MichaelWRHS965KE8PLM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidphc Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 I have heard (but have not researched to confirm) that some insurance companies...MichaelWRHS965KE8PLMSpeaking of insurance, I need to find out what waivers I need for my mobile radios in my truck. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gf66 Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 22 hours ago, SkylinesSuck said: Do antennas attract more lightening than normal? I understand the physics and technicals of it, but from practical experience, does it happen a lot? I properly ground everything, but I am very inclined to leave everything plugged in and not worry about it. I have a lot more expensive equipment than my GMRS radios plugged in and I have never decided it was worth it to go unplug everything before a potential lightning storm. I'm more worried about safety than anything else. I wonder if home owners insurance covers lightning strikes. if lighting does strike, i'd bet it grabs a hold of the lighting rod/antenna before anything else. Shot an arrow in an oak tree about 20' up, lighting struck, happened to pick that tree out of hundreds around it and blew that arrow out. It has never stuck that tree again. Always best to disconnect, but I'm not sure lighting won't just jump and still fry everything. If you can't pound a rod in it can be buried horizontally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnE Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 a little light reading https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/Lands_ROW_Motorola_R56_2005_manual.pdf note: this is from 05 , there have been updates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctnj Posted May 9, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 I went with this clamp. The other one I saw was back when I was looking at other folks installs. Now can't find the web site. I think this will be just as good. Clamp it down on bus bar and run ground wire through and down to being welded on rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n4gix Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 It is more likely that damage could be caused from a 'near strike' than from a 'direct strike' on your antenna(s). That's where 'lighting protectors' and a properly bonded system just may actually protect your gear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gf66 Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 13 minutes ago, Doctnj said: I went with this clamp. The other one I saw was back when I was looking at other folks installs. Now can't find the web site. I think this will be just as good. Clamp it down on bus bar and run ground wire through and down to being welded on rod. old faithful. I do like those clamps kidphc linked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widnerkj Posted May 11, 2021 Report Share Posted May 11, 2021 old faithful. I do like those clamps kidphc linkedI mean, if you feel crazy, and know a substation electrician, you could barter to do a “cad-weld” but that’s likely overkill. Greybar electrical supply will usually have the lugs, clamps and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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