Thanks to everyone (especially Chris) for the reply.

> For what it's worth my checklist would be
>
> 1. Are all four legs of the Tower connected to a Good Earth. (Use
> the tower
> as a Lightning Rod)

Yes, it's a monopole, well grounded.

> 2. Are the cables routed down the center of the tower and NOT down
> one of
> the legs (Minimise Induced Currents)

Yes, they come right down the inside of the tower.

> 3. Are all cables taken through a metal bulkhead and is the
> protection
> applied at that bulkhead (Don't let the Lightning get into the
> equipment
> room)

The tower company grounds the coax shield where it leaves the tower; and
then again where it enters the building.

> 4. Is the bulkhead directly connected to ground using a very big
> stranded
> cable with no bends. (Keep Resistance and Inductance to earth an
> absolute
> minimum).

Yes, 000 stranded copper to heavy copper buss bars.

> 5. Are the Equipment Racks bonded to the Entry Bulkhead

No.  This is where things deviate from the recommended.

> 6. What about your power supplies. I worked on one station in Africa
> where a
> Battery Room was built under the tower. To save money they routed
> the cables
> to the first floor (that's the one above the Ground Floor 8-) )
> equipment
> room up one of the legs of the tower. Guess what happened when the
> tower got
> struck by lightning.  Fizzle, Fizzle, Bang.

No batteries (except for the microwave equipment), a generator provides
emergency power.

>
> I would also apply protection at the base of the tower where the
> vertical
> run down the tower changes to a horizontal run towards the building
>

Yes, as above.


It seems that the tower company did a good job.  Now, all that I have to
do is to show my boss the error of his ways.  The drawback is, that if I
do convince him, he'll probably make me do all of the work.

Thanks,

Jim Albers

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