W2MMD Clubhouse Lightning
Protection Project
Lightning Protection Project Update - March 16, 2021
By Jon Pearce, WB2MNF
The grounding project for the HF room is proceeding well with a solid group of volunteers working on the project. The overall objective of this project is to provide a sufficient grounding system such that a nearby lightning strike is unlikely to damage equipment within the Clubhouse. The project involves rewiring the AC power lines in each area such that all are on lightning protector devices, providing similar protection for antennas, rotator cables, networking cables and any other wiring within the Clubhouse. We’re fortunate that Ron Block, NR2B is a well-known expert in this area and has provided significant guidance, along with hundreds of dollars of protective equipment from his business. He and Frank N3PUU developed a detailed plan for the project and enlisted a small group of volunteers. On Saturday, March 13, 2021, Sheldon K2MEN, Len W2LJR, and Mike K2MRP joined Frank to remove the paneling (the equipment had previously been removed), remove existing wiring and install new circuit boxes and AC wiring that will comply with the plan.
A confounding factor in the project was the network wiring that runs from the networking cabinet in the VHF room through the length of the Clubhouse to the HF room. This creates a risk of damage if the Clubhouse is struck by lightning. Several options were considered with the most workable being to replace the wiring with non-conductive fiber optic cable. This required running flexible conduit through the ceiling the entire length of the Clubhouse from behind the wall of the HF room into the networking cabinet in the VHF room. This took Frank and Len most of Sunday, March 14, 2021 to fish cables through the Clubhouse ceiling and follow it with the conduit. At this point the conduit is in place and ready for installation of the fiber optic cable.
Over the next few weeks the team will complete the wiring, install new paneling to replace the old paneling that was patched and damaged, installing the copper stripping with plywood backing on which the protective devices will be mounted, and finally reinstall the equipment. Hopefully that process will be completed by mid-April.
By Jon Pearce, WB2MNF
The grounding project for the HF room is proceeding well with a solid group of volunteers working on the project. The overall objective of this project is to provide a sufficient grounding system such that a nearby lightning strike is unlikely to damage equipment within the Clubhouse. The project involves rewiring the AC power lines in each area such that all are on lightning protector devices, providing similar protection for antennas, rotator cables, networking cables and any other wiring within the Clubhouse. We’re fortunate that Ron Block, NR2B is a well-known expert in this area and has provided significant guidance, along with hundreds of dollars of protective equipment from his business. He and Frank N3PUU developed a detailed plan for the project and enlisted a small group of volunteers. On Saturday, March 13, 2021, Sheldon K2MEN, Len W2LJR, and Mike K2MRP joined Frank to remove the paneling (the equipment had previously been removed), remove existing wiring and install new circuit boxes and AC wiring that will comply with the plan.
A confounding factor in the project was the network wiring that runs from the networking cabinet in the VHF room through the length of the Clubhouse to the HF room. This creates a risk of damage if the Clubhouse is struck by lightning. Several options were considered with the most workable being to replace the wiring with non-conductive fiber optic cable. This required running flexible conduit through the ceiling the entire length of the Clubhouse from behind the wall of the HF room into the networking cabinet in the VHF room. This took Frank and Len most of Sunday, March 14, 2021 to fish cables through the Clubhouse ceiling and follow it with the conduit. At this point the conduit is in place and ready for installation of the fiber optic cable.
Over the next few weeks the team will complete the wiring, install new paneling to replace the old paneling that was patched and damaged, installing the copper stripping with plywood backing on which the protective devices will be mounted, and finally reinstall the equipment. Hopefully that process will be completed by mid-April.
W2MMD Clubhouse Lightning Protection Plan 2020
By Ron Block, NR2B - April 2020
We have an offer that we simply cannot and should not refuse. At the February 2020 General Membership Meeting, John Hill, W2HUV, announced that he was willing to lend, on a long-term basis, a brand new Elecraft KPA1500 (1500 Watt) amplifier for use in the Clubhouse HF Room. This offer comes at the behest of John’s friend and mentor Donald W. Stribling (SK), KH6DX, (see John Hill’s article below), with only one requirement - we must provide a suitable earth ground. This is a very reasonable request and should already be a part of every amateur radio installation; however, at our Clubhouse the nearest ground connection is at the base of the tower. Too far away to be effective and not interconnected with other grounds (utility, other antennas).
Yes, we could certainly drive a ground rod into the ground just outside the HF Room and run a wire to it. That would fulfill the requirement for a ground (although a poor one at best); however, it would expose the Clubhouse and it’s equipment to a very dangerous situation - multiple non-interconnected grounds tower via the coax and the shiny new ground rod) with a radio (in this case an expensive amplifier) bridged across them. A recipe for destruction the next time Mother Nature visits the area.
Instead, a good earth connection (aka: a ground) is a byproduct of a well-designed Lightning Protection scheme. It uses a lot of copper to make a low impedance connection with the earth which in-turn provides an established path for dissipating lightning strike energy as well as improving radio equipment performance. It also interconnects with other ground connections such as towers and utility connections creating a single unified ground for the facility. Back in the beginning of 2014 as a part of my business, I created a Lightning Protection Plan for the Clubhouse. At that time, it was reviewed by the Board of Directors and not acted upon. Well, perhaps now is the time to resurrect the plan, make some updates, and implement it in a phased approach. This will give us several benefits. First, it will create a solid and reliable earth ground connection, and second, will protect our communications equipment from Mother Nature’s energy imbalance which we call lightning.
In the above slide show, there is a schematic of the exterior ground connections necessary to create a ground system. It consists of a copper strap (green lines) completely around the outside of the Clubhouse. This is called a Perimeter Ground and its purpose is to act as a tie point for each of the independent grounds (towers, utility, etc.), as well as a shorting bar during a lightning strike to minimize the voltage gradient underneath the Clubhouse (minimize flash-over), and to bond any nearby metal objects (propane tank) to prevent flash-over. This simple rectangular Perimeter Ground becomes the center point of a unifying, low impedance ground system.
Also visible on the schematic are our two tall towers - one behind the Clubhouse on the right and the other to the left of the Clubhouse. Each of the towers has a set of copper strap radials with ground rods to dissipate the lightning strike energy into the ground before it travels via the coax into the Clubhouse. In order to ensure one and only one ground system, each tower is connected to the Perimeter Ground. This simplified design calls for about 1,000 feet of buried copper strap (flat wire for lower inductance) and more than 50 ground rods (shown as black dots on the schematic).
On the inside of the Clubhouse in both the HF and VHF radio rooms modifications will be necessary to have a metal plate mounted on the wall above the floor called a Single Point Ground Panel (SPGP). As the name implies, this is the grounding point for equipment chassis and surge protectors (coax, twisted pair, & AC power). Any copper (wire, cable) that leaves the room must leave via the SPGP and through a protector.
The implementation of this Lightning Protection Plan is not a trivial undertaking. It involves a great deal of material as well as a lot of physical work. Such an effort will require approval by the General Membership for the funds to purchase the material. Most of the material consists of copper strap, for low inductance connections, and copper coated ground rods, for the earth connection. Procuring the material is the easiest part. Installing it is the hard part and this is where you have an opportunity to participate in the project. It has been my observation that in most voluntary organizations, such as GCARC, that about ninety-percent of the work is done by ten-percent of the members. This appears to be true when it comes to the care and feeding of our Clubhouse. On most weekends the same people are there to help maintain the structure and then to enjoy some of the benefits.
For the installation of a Lightning Protection Plan that must change. The ten-percent are already busy working a list of items to be done and are not in a position to undertake a very large set of additional tasks, even if parceled into small manageable sizes. To do this implementation we need to tap into the individual talents that are a part of GCARC. I am sure that there is a woodworker among our members who has the woodworking equipment that we need and could lend us a hand preparing the plywood stand-offs needed to mount the various copper busses. Similarly, I am sure that we also have a member or two that is skilled in sheet metal work. We need your talent to prepare and mount the copper busses. The skill list goes on into many other areas : electrician, machinist, trencher, construction, and welder to name some of the major talents needed. The graphic above features an initial list of skills and talents that we will need in order to do this job. If you have one of these talents, then we need to hear from you.
When this Coronavirus begins to subside, we can establish a target date and begin to build a team to build this ground system. Without your help we cannot go forward with the Lightning Protection Plan implementation. It is not all-or-nothing; it is just a very large undertaking, even when broken down into many small tasks, each must be accomplished within a short period of time with respect to the other tasks.
Without your help we cannot do this and may not be able to accept John’s very generous offer on behalf of his friend Donald.
Please, don’t let this happen! Please volunteer when asked.
By Ron Block, NR2B - April 2020
We have an offer that we simply cannot and should not refuse. At the February 2020 General Membership Meeting, John Hill, W2HUV, announced that he was willing to lend, on a long-term basis, a brand new Elecraft KPA1500 (1500 Watt) amplifier for use in the Clubhouse HF Room. This offer comes at the behest of John’s friend and mentor Donald W. Stribling (SK), KH6DX, (see John Hill’s article below), with only one requirement - we must provide a suitable earth ground. This is a very reasonable request and should already be a part of every amateur radio installation; however, at our Clubhouse the nearest ground connection is at the base of the tower. Too far away to be effective and not interconnected with other grounds (utility, other antennas).
Yes, we could certainly drive a ground rod into the ground just outside the HF Room and run a wire to it. That would fulfill the requirement for a ground (although a poor one at best); however, it would expose the Clubhouse and it’s equipment to a very dangerous situation - multiple non-interconnected grounds tower via the coax and the shiny new ground rod) with a radio (in this case an expensive amplifier) bridged across them. A recipe for destruction the next time Mother Nature visits the area.
Instead, a good earth connection (aka: a ground) is a byproduct of a well-designed Lightning Protection scheme. It uses a lot of copper to make a low impedance connection with the earth which in-turn provides an established path for dissipating lightning strike energy as well as improving radio equipment performance. It also interconnects with other ground connections such as towers and utility connections creating a single unified ground for the facility. Back in the beginning of 2014 as a part of my business, I created a Lightning Protection Plan for the Clubhouse. At that time, it was reviewed by the Board of Directors and not acted upon. Well, perhaps now is the time to resurrect the plan, make some updates, and implement it in a phased approach. This will give us several benefits. First, it will create a solid and reliable earth ground connection, and second, will protect our communications equipment from Mother Nature’s energy imbalance which we call lightning.
In the above slide show, there is a schematic of the exterior ground connections necessary to create a ground system. It consists of a copper strap (green lines) completely around the outside of the Clubhouse. This is called a Perimeter Ground and its purpose is to act as a tie point for each of the independent grounds (towers, utility, etc.), as well as a shorting bar during a lightning strike to minimize the voltage gradient underneath the Clubhouse (minimize flash-over), and to bond any nearby metal objects (propane tank) to prevent flash-over. This simple rectangular Perimeter Ground becomes the center point of a unifying, low impedance ground system.
Also visible on the schematic are our two tall towers - one behind the Clubhouse on the right and the other to the left of the Clubhouse. Each of the towers has a set of copper strap radials with ground rods to dissipate the lightning strike energy into the ground before it travels via the coax into the Clubhouse. In order to ensure one and only one ground system, each tower is connected to the Perimeter Ground. This simplified design calls for about 1,000 feet of buried copper strap (flat wire for lower inductance) and more than 50 ground rods (shown as black dots on the schematic).
On the inside of the Clubhouse in both the HF and VHF radio rooms modifications will be necessary to have a metal plate mounted on the wall above the floor called a Single Point Ground Panel (SPGP). As the name implies, this is the grounding point for equipment chassis and surge protectors (coax, twisted pair, & AC power). Any copper (wire, cable) that leaves the room must leave via the SPGP and through a protector.
The implementation of this Lightning Protection Plan is not a trivial undertaking. It involves a great deal of material as well as a lot of physical work. Such an effort will require approval by the General Membership for the funds to purchase the material. Most of the material consists of copper strap, for low inductance connections, and copper coated ground rods, for the earth connection. Procuring the material is the easiest part. Installing it is the hard part and this is where you have an opportunity to participate in the project. It has been my observation that in most voluntary organizations, such as GCARC, that about ninety-percent of the work is done by ten-percent of the members. This appears to be true when it comes to the care and feeding of our Clubhouse. On most weekends the same people are there to help maintain the structure and then to enjoy some of the benefits.
For the installation of a Lightning Protection Plan that must change. The ten-percent are already busy working a list of items to be done and are not in a position to undertake a very large set of additional tasks, even if parceled into small manageable sizes. To do this implementation we need to tap into the individual talents that are a part of GCARC. I am sure that there is a woodworker among our members who has the woodworking equipment that we need and could lend us a hand preparing the plywood stand-offs needed to mount the various copper busses. Similarly, I am sure that we also have a member or two that is skilled in sheet metal work. We need your talent to prepare and mount the copper busses. The skill list goes on into many other areas : electrician, machinist, trencher, construction, and welder to name some of the major talents needed. The graphic above features an initial list of skills and talents that we will need in order to do this job. If you have one of these talents, then we need to hear from you.
When this Coronavirus begins to subside, we can establish a target date and begin to build a team to build this ground system. Without your help we cannot go forward with the Lightning Protection Plan implementation. It is not all-or-nothing; it is just a very large undertaking, even when broken down into many small tasks, each must be accomplished within a short period of time with respect to the other tasks.
Without your help we cannot do this and may not be able to accept John’s very generous offer on behalf of his friend Donald.
Please, don’t let this happen! Please volunteer when asked.
Donald W Stribling, KH6DX (SK)
By John Hill, W2HUV - April 2020
Donald W. Stribling, KH6DX, was my mentor and lifelong friend. I met him while I was attending Edmonds High School in Edmonds, WA from 1953-1957. That's when I received my novice and general class licenses, WN7WFJ and W7WFJ. Don was W7VGQ at the time and worked for the phone company maintaining microwave relay stations. He worked for Page Communications Company during the Vietnamese conflict providing communications between South and North Vietnam. He accepted many assignments in SE Asia. He lived in WA and CA most of his life, eventually moving to his dream location near Hilo, HI. He never took a break from ham radio. He was constantly working on one project or another. His favorite band and mode was 160m CW.
CW operation at high volumes over the years led to significant hearing loss, which isn't too helpful for a CW operator. His health deteriorated rapidly in the last two years of his life. He was forced to move to an extended care facility in Honolulu where his life consisted of getting dialysis treatments three times a week. Prohibitive cost forced his family to move him to an extended care facility in St. Louis, MO, near one of his daughters. The reason for the dialysis treatments was that he had cancer in both kidneys. He was told that he would die within a week or so if he stopped the dialysis treatments. When it was clear that he would never return to his beloved HI and ham radio, he was devastated and decided to stop the treatments. He died on November 9, 2019.
Prior to that day, he directed his son Mike to ship his transmitters to me from HI. He had already shipped his Elecraft K3S and accessories to me, including a DX Engineering NCC-2 Receive Antenna Phasing System. It was his intent that I use this equipment myself, but that is impracticable where I live. This was the basis for my decision to sell everything and purchase an Elecraft KPA1500 amplifier so that I can lend it to the Club and use it with the Remote HF Station, with the condition that a proper grounding system be installed. The proceeds of the sale of the equipment received is in the bank, waiting!
By John Hill, W2HUV - April 2020
Donald W. Stribling, KH6DX, was my mentor and lifelong friend. I met him while I was attending Edmonds High School in Edmonds, WA from 1953-1957. That's when I received my novice and general class licenses, WN7WFJ and W7WFJ. Don was W7VGQ at the time and worked for the phone company maintaining microwave relay stations. He worked for Page Communications Company during the Vietnamese conflict providing communications between South and North Vietnam. He accepted many assignments in SE Asia. He lived in WA and CA most of his life, eventually moving to his dream location near Hilo, HI. He never took a break from ham radio. He was constantly working on one project or another. His favorite band and mode was 160m CW.
CW operation at high volumes over the years led to significant hearing loss, which isn't too helpful for a CW operator. His health deteriorated rapidly in the last two years of his life. He was forced to move to an extended care facility in Honolulu where his life consisted of getting dialysis treatments three times a week. Prohibitive cost forced his family to move him to an extended care facility in St. Louis, MO, near one of his daughters. The reason for the dialysis treatments was that he had cancer in both kidneys. He was told that he would die within a week or so if he stopped the dialysis treatments. When it was clear that he would never return to his beloved HI and ham radio, he was devastated and decided to stop the treatments. He died on November 9, 2019.
Prior to that day, he directed his son Mike to ship his transmitters to me from HI. He had already shipped his Elecraft K3S and accessories to me, including a DX Engineering NCC-2 Receive Antenna Phasing System. It was his intent that I use this equipment myself, but that is impracticable where I live. This was the basis for my decision to sell everything and purchase an Elecraft KPA1500 amplifier so that I can lend it to the Club and use it with the Remote HF Station, with the condition that a proper grounding system be installed. The proceeds of the sale of the equipment received is in the bank, waiting!
Planning Begins On The Clubhouse Lightning Protection Project
By Jon Pearce, WB2MNF - February 17, 2021
The initial planning is underway for the lightning protection project at the GCARC Clubhouse. The objective of this project is to protect radios, electronic devices, and other electrical items within the club house from lightning damage. The project will be completed in three phases: an initial planning and budgeting phase, an interior construction phase, and the exterior construction phase.
The planning and budgeting phase is underway - Frank N3PUU has inventoried all of the cables coming into the Clubhouse including coaxial cables, rotator cables, ethernet cables and various sensor and other cables going to SkunkWorks projects. This inventory identified almost 50 cables needing protection in the VHF room, about a dozen in the HF room and several in the main room. Frank, Al KB2AYU, Ron NR2B and I met at the Clubhouse several weeks ago to review this list and discuss a number of issues relating to the implementation of the project. Several changes were made to that list, and Ron is reviewing it to determine the cost of the devices that will need to be purchased. Ron is generously donating many materials necessary for the project; however some materials will need to be manufactured and others purchased. Those purchases will be presented to the general membership at the March meeting for the approval of the necessary expenditure of funds.
Following that meeting and the purchase of the remaining items come the interior implementation phase, which will begin with the HF room because it's significantly simpler than what's needed to protect the VHF room. Planning for that process is not yet started. The most significant effort will be the exterior implementation, in which multiple rods will need to be sunk into the ground, connected by cables, and thermally bound together. This phase will be completed in late spring and will require a significant number of people to deal with the physical effort necessary to complete this phase.
We will continue to update Club members on this project as progress continues.
By Jon Pearce, WB2MNF - February 17, 2021
The initial planning is underway for the lightning protection project at the GCARC Clubhouse. The objective of this project is to protect radios, electronic devices, and other electrical items within the club house from lightning damage. The project will be completed in three phases: an initial planning and budgeting phase, an interior construction phase, and the exterior construction phase.
The planning and budgeting phase is underway - Frank N3PUU has inventoried all of the cables coming into the Clubhouse including coaxial cables, rotator cables, ethernet cables and various sensor and other cables going to SkunkWorks projects. This inventory identified almost 50 cables needing protection in the VHF room, about a dozen in the HF room and several in the main room. Frank, Al KB2AYU, Ron NR2B and I met at the Clubhouse several weeks ago to review this list and discuss a number of issues relating to the implementation of the project. Several changes were made to that list, and Ron is reviewing it to determine the cost of the devices that will need to be purchased. Ron is generously donating many materials necessary for the project; however some materials will need to be manufactured and others purchased. Those purchases will be presented to the general membership at the March meeting for the approval of the necessary expenditure of funds.
Following that meeting and the purchase of the remaining items come the interior implementation phase, which will begin with the HF room because it's significantly simpler than what's needed to protect the VHF room. Planning for that process is not yet started. The most significant effort will be the exterior implementation, in which multiple rods will need to be sunk into the ground, connected by cables, and thermally bound together. This phase will be completed in late spring and will require a significant number of people to deal with the physical effort necessary to complete this phase.
We will continue to update Club members on this project as progress continues.
W2MMD Clubhouse
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