7/18/2016 MastLengthAboveTower

MastLengthAboveTower

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RobertI.Egbert:
Iamintheprocessoferectinga40footRohn25Gtower.FoundationandguysareallasspecifiedontheRohn
datasheets.IhaveaTR44rotator(ratedat7.5sq.ft.windload)thatwillbemountedonarotorplatelocated
about2.5feetdownfromthetopofthetower.TheonlyantennaisasmallYagithatweighs10lbs.,hasa6ft.
boom,andawindloadof2.5sq.ft.Ihavean11ft.lengthofgalvanizedsteelmastthathasanO.D.of1&5/8
inchesanda3/16inchwallthickness.Ihadoriginallyplannedtocutthemastandleavealittleover3ft.outof
thetowerandalittlemorethan2ft.throughthesleeveatthetopofthetoweranddownintotherotator.
However,Iamnowthinkingaboutleavingthemastintactwhichwillresultinabout9ft.abovethetopofthe
towerwiththeYagiontheendofthemast.Thiswouldgivemealittlemoreheight.Ihaverunthenumbersas
bestIunderstandtheequationsandtheyappeartobeokay,butsinceismyfirsttowerIdon'twanttomess
thingsup.ThereforeIamlookingforsecond(orthird)opinions.Anythoughtsorsuggestions?

JerryMontgomery:
Soundslikeapieceofschedule40waterpipethatyouareusingforamast.Unfortunatelythisstuffdoesn't
reallyhaveayieldstrengthrating,butusing30ksiwhichIsawquotedinonearticleasamaximum,with9ft
stickingoutthetopofthetower,Icalculatealikelymastfailureat74mphwithwindgustto95mph.That
samearticlerecommendednotusingthepipeabove21.6ksi.Withthatnumberthefailurepointis63mphwith
windgustto80mph.

That'sallguessworkbecausethatpipeisnotintendedtobeusedforthispurpose,andyouwon'tgeta
guaranteedstrengthrating.

Ifyouaregoingtoputtheantenna9ftabovethetopofthetower,Iwouldrecommendthatyouuseamastthat
isratedforthistypeuse.A2inchdiameter,0.25wall,11ftmastfromArraySolutionswillberatedat87ksi.
That'ssomewherebetween6and8timesstrongerthanyourpipe.Itwillalsosolveallyourshimmingand
alignmentproblems.

Jerry,K4SAV

KennethMeyer:
Iwouldjustleaveyourmastpipethelengthitis,Andinstallyourantennamidwayupthepipe,Leavingafew
feetofpipeabovetheantennatoactasalightningrod.
Youwillneedtowatchtoseeifthatdiameterpipeneedstobeshimmedintherotortobecentered.Doallthatin
thetopsectionbeforeputtingitupintheair....Mucheasierontheground.
Also,Fitagroundstrapofheavyflexiblecopperfromthemasttothetowersoifyoudotakeadirectlightning
strike,Theenergydoesnotgo"through"therotor........(Ashortlengthofweldingcableworkswell)

JerryMontgomery:
..."Also,Fitagroundstrapofheavyflexiblecopperfromthemasttothetowersoifyoudotakeadirect
lightningstrike,Theenergydoesnotgo"through"therotor........(Ashortlengthofweldingcableworks
well)"....

IseethissuggestionallthetimeandIdon'tunderstandit.Iwishsomeonewouldprovidetherationalfordoing
this.Theimpedanceofthestrapismuchhigherthanthepaththruthemastandrotator.Thatstrapisusually
smallerthanthemast.Theconnectionintherotatorconsistsofbearingsunderpressure.Thisisgoingtobe
verylowimpedance.Thereisalsoanotherpathfromthemastthruthethrustbearing.Whatmakesthelightning
takethehigherimpedancepathofacoiledstrapandignorethelowerimpedancepath?

Ican'tseethisdoinganything,plusyouhavetoprovidepropercoppertozincconnections,preferablewater
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7/18/2016 MastLengthAboveTower

proof.

Whatistheruleagain?Youneverusebraidforagroundsystem,butyouuseittoprovidealowerimpedance
paththanatwoinchmast?

Considerthisexample:

Problem:Assumeforsomereasonthebearingsintherotatoraren'tmakinggoodelectricalconnection(although
Ican'timaginewhy).Iflightningcurrentpassesthruthem,thearccreatedwillweldthebearings.Remember
howanarcwelderworks.Andalsoassumethethrustbearingismadeoutofwood.Alsoassumetherotatoris
mountedbelowthetopofthetowerandastrapcanbeplacedbetweenthemastandthetopofthetower.This
waythestrapcanbeshorterthanthepaththrutherotator.(I'massumingeverythinginfavorofjustifyingthe
strap.)

Proposedsolution:Sincebraidisapoorconductor,assumesomewayisfoundthatmakesitpossibletousea#4
wire.Assumealengthof18inchesforthewire(althoughthewirewillfatigueveryquickly).

Willthissavetherotator?
Assumeagapbetweenthebearingsandthehousingoftherotatorof1/32inch(althoughIdon'tknowhowyou
wouldgetsomethingthislarge).Sincethedielectricbreakdownofairisapproximately3e6V/m,itwouldtake
about2400Vtostartthearc.Sothedropacrossthewirewouldhavetobelessthan2400Vtokeepthearcfrom
starting.(Itwouldbemuchlessthanthisifthegapacrosstherotatorbearingsisless.)Theinductanceof18
inchesof#4wire(neglectinganycoiling)isapproximately0.47uH.TheDCresistancewillbetotally
dependentonthequalityoftheconnection.Sincelightninghasalargefrequencycomponentaround1MHz,
calculatethecurrentinthewiretoproduce2400Vat1MHz.Thatis810A.Soifthecurrentinthewireis
greaterthan810Athearcwillstartanywayandtherotatorbearingswillweld.Sincethetypicallightningstrike
isabout20,000A,Idon'tthinkthismethodhasachance(evenifyouwereabletofabricatesomethinglikeI
assumed).

Bottomlineis,theonlywaytodivertanysignificantcurrentfromtherotatorpathiswithagoodconnectionthru
thethrustbearing.

Jerry,K4SAV

KennethMeyer:
Yep,Neveruse"Braid"unlessitisneededtobeflexible,Whichinthiscaseitis.Ihaveusedbothtinned1
1/12"wide"braid"andtheweldingcableofabout1/2"diameter.Inallcases,Theyareattachedtothemastand
tothetowerwithstainlesssteel"hoseclamps"thatandarewellcoatedwith"OxGard"topreventthezinc
copperproblem,ThenwellwrappedwithplastictapetokeeptheOxGardinplace.
ThelightningisNOTgoingthruthebearingstoground,AsawellworkingrotorisLUBRICATED,Meaningits
littleballbearingsareactuallyfloatingonasurfaceofoil/grease,NOTtoMENTIONtheWIPERpot.thattells
whichwayyourrotorispointingbeingagreatitemforlightningtofry.
IhaveseenLOTSofrotorsfriedfromlightning,NONEhadthe"jumper"frommasttotower.IhaveNEVER
seenarotorburnedoutwhentheinstallationhashadthejumperinplace.Myowntowershavetakenmany
directlightningstrikesandIhaveneverhadarotorproblemyet.(AsprovenwithPolyphaserLSClightning
strikecounters)
Idontclaimtohaveinventedthisidea,Ireaditsomewheremanyyearsagoanditworksforme,Andothers
whohavedoneit.
Ifyoudontlikeit,Dontuseit.....AtyourOWNrisk!

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