My CB station is finally coming together

[dxhound]

Just so you are not surprised when it happens, this isn't as true as it sounds.

The fist thing you need to know about lightening is it doesn't follow the norms of low voltage DC electricity that people are used to. It is both high voltage and high current at the same time. Actually that is an understatement, I'm assuming you have seen something somewhere that has the words "Danger High Voltage"? Next to lightening that is nothing. It has the power to do what it wants while seeking ground, and this includes jumping from one ground to another, even arcing through the air and using multiple ground connections at once.

You have a wire, presumably the shielding in coax (not to say lightening won't use both), that lightening can travel to your house. Balanced feed line is also not immune. Any which way, like it or not, you have a connection from the antenna to your house for lightening to follow.

The best thing to do is connect all of your grounds together with 4 AWG wire. This works because lightening looks for lower potential ground connections. If all of your grounds are connected together they are all at the same potential. This is how broadcast radio stations protect themselves. Their antennas are hit with lightening more regularly than your antenna likely will yet they only very rarely are affected.

Grounds being at different potentials may be odd sounding, but hook up the ground rod at the tower and the ground rod at your house to the leads of a volt meter, you will see DC voltage. This voltage can change over time, including changing polarity. This difference is what cause lightening to jump from one ground to another (sometimes through your electronic equipment for which your radio will likely be the first chance) as lightening always seeks the ground with the lowest electrical state.

I would also run the feed line through a lightening arrestor where it enters the house, one that is connected to grounding system like the one mentioned above. This will do more than anything to keep lightening hits out of the house.


The DB

Oh yeah, I understand all that. I worked in Wicomico county as an 800 Mhz Radio tech and now work at a private company dealing with many commercial and federal radio/electronics accounts. I see their grounds and how the poly phasers are hooked up. I plan to run a Poly phaser where my commscope ends and LMR begins. (Under the house somewhere)

Electricty is going to look for the path of least resistance whether its one or multiple paths. I will have one 8' ground rod on each leg and one at the poly phaser. I also disconnect all coax from equipment to tower when not in use, incase of pop up storms.

I know its not, nor ever will be a full proof plan. But I know the tower is more likely to get struck then the house in most cases. So keeping it away should have some benefit...I HOPE HAHA

 

[dxhound]

Update, I got some new goodies today in prep for the tower raising.

A brand new Yaesu G800-SA Rotor. Man this thing is small and light wieght. I hope it turns the 4 element quad ok.........Time will tell

Also got the new IMAX 2000. After a quick peak I realized the mounting flange will only accept upto a 1 1/2 inch mast, so I will need to make an adapter bracket.


The next couple things I need to obtain are galvanized mast sections (4) 21'x2" , rotor cable for the rotor and remote switch, Also, I need to create some bracket to hold the thrust bearings for the mast running through the middle of the tower.

I will also need to decide whether I want to mount the rotor on the steel hinge plate 1' above the ground, or at the top of the first section 8' off the ground.


I will get Pics of the new stuff up soon.

 

[dxhound]

Here some pics of the new rotor, Drake cs-7, and the new lightning antenna. There is VERY limited information about these antennas on the net, So I plan to document the build of the antenna and the mounting/tuning to help others.

All that is left to purchase is 300 feet of 8 conductor wire for the coax switch, some steel mast pipe and thrust bearings. were gettin close!!!!

 

[dxhound]

I also took a quick shot of the op position. Its a lil cluttered now and I plan to expand onto another desk.

 

[Zman]

Wow nice gear!!!!! R U a ham by chance?

 

[dxhound]

Yes I am

 

[Mr Clean]

Update, I got some new goodies today in prep for the tower raising.

A brand new Yaesu G800-SA Rotor. Man this thing is small and light wieght. I hope it turns the 4 element quad ok.........Time will tell

Also got the new IMAX 2000. After a quick peak I realized the mounting flange will only accept upto a 1 1/2 inch mast, so I will need to make an adapter bracket.


The next couple things I need to obtain are galvanized mast sections (4) 21'x2" , rotor cable for the rotor and remote switch, Also, I need to create some bracket to hold the thrust bearings for the mast running through the middle of the tower.

I will also need to decide whether I want to mount the rotor on the steel hinge plate 1' above the ground, or at the top of the first section 8' off the ground.


I will get Pics of the new stuff up soon.

That rotator will be fine. I turn a 5 element maco h/v with the same model. Just be sure to use the bolt thur the mast. Peace!

 

[dxhound]

Just to give an Update. I modified the top two sections of the bx64 tower. Ill add pics this weekend. But essentially I welded a stronger top plate for the upper thrust bearing, removed the original rotor plate and welded a second thrust bearing plate 2 feet from the bottom of the top section. Then added a new rotor plate 3 feet from the top of the second section.

This setup will allow 10 foot of my 20 foot mast to stick out of the top and be stronger with the tourque beeing applied to section 2 instead of section 1.

I did want to ground mount the rotor but decided it was cost prohibitve and if whether was looking that bad, I would lower the tower anyway. hopefully in 2 weeks I will be trenching in the hardline and burryflex, along with the control lines for the rotor and antenna switch.

 

[dxhound]

Ok, I was in a hold pattern all winter due to weather.......but this weekend was nice, and I worked all weekend on building the antenna and putting the tower and accessories together. Good news is the quad is mounted and the tower is vertical. Bad news........The brand new Imax I bought had a bad bottom section and was split end to end. So I will have to lower her down when the new section comes in and install the IMAX later. I will probably have to drop tower anyway to adjust SWR. In that time, I hope to make a winch and fulcrum point to keep from using our tractor to pull her up and down.....Thats a pain in the A$$. Ill post pics soon.

 

[dxhound]

Some pics

 

[dxhound]

and more

 

[dxhound]

My Wife even joined in!

 

[dxhound]

and more and more

 

[dxhound]

shes up!

 

[curlyjo]

More nice pics! So how do you like it?