[BC] Ground system

[Phil Alexander]

Long ago I started making a dual purpose ground at the tower
base by affixing the radial anchor hoop [usually 5 to 10 ft.
dia. hoop of 3/4 to 1 in. Cu tube] to the ground by hammering
in 4 appropriate Cu clad grounding rods inside the hoop so
they exerted enough mechanical force to hold the hoop in place,
then (bronze) brazing the rods to the hoop before plowing the
radials and terminating them to the hoop with a single wrap
and braze joint. Note: The strap cross passing under the base
insulator terminates to the hoop before radial connection as
well. This has worked well for me for making ground = ground. <g>
True, you need to use heavy wide strap for the cross so a heavy
strike does not turn it into a "blown fuse" but that is the only
precaution I would recommend. This works well for me but YMMV.

Phil Alexander, CSRE, AMD 

-----Original Message-----
>From: Cowboy <curt at spam-o-matic.net>

> As MM likes to occasionally point out, a radial system is
> an RF "ground" but a poor lightning ground, while a few
> ground rods makes a good lightning ground, but a poor
> RF ground.
>
> Ground is not necessarily ground !