sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Installing wire onto Roof

Lightning is not THAT big of a concern guys. Proper bonding and grounding will prevent virtually all lightning problems.
The Power Companies and TelCo's run copper lines into/near roofs on an almost daily basis
I worked for IBT and I have probably put at least a few dozen copper drops into weatherheads over the years without issue. I see one of them everyday on my way to and from work still working 10+years later. I have atached hundreds upon hundreds of copper drops to the sides of homes near the roof line without issue.

Do whatever you think is appropriate for your data transmission rates be it copper or fiber.

Roof leaks however, are an entirely different issue. If you're not comfortable with your roofing skills listen to the previous poster that said sub out the weatherhead/conduit install.It'll save you alot of grief.

Lightning is not THAT big of a concern guys. Proper bonding and grounding will prevent virtually all lightning problems.

Holy COW you've never been to Florida!

I've seen lightning hit a tree, travel through a root to the buildings earth ground then blow everything connected to that ground. It melted the power supply and 2 adjacent cards in an iDCS 500 and smoked all the gas fuses in the telco demarc.

In another location I saw where it hit a pecan tree, jumped to the cable companies cable and took out an entire network, switches, routers, network cards, and motherboards with integrated nics. It even crystalized most of the cat 5e cabling in the building. The cat 5 would crumble in your hands.

Use fiber to go outside your building.

I lightning wants it it will get it

I am speechless. I am replacing over 50K worth of gear in the next two weeks from lightning damage resulting from the storms over the last 10 days.

Boy,It must be nice to live where there is no lightning,Is Ill. protected by an overhead lightning grid ,

Wiring is in my house, not on the roof or even near being outside. A nearby hit fried the ethernet port on my printer and an extension port on my Partner system.

We use 5 pin protectors for all our customers CO lines and lots of times the covers get blown off of them clear across the room.

And this is New York, I can only imagine Florida. Guess they don't have lightning in Illinois.

-Hal

Southern California is considered a smaller risk for lightning strikes (less than 6 thunderstorms per year). The geographic region definitely affects the likelihood of a strike, but anything that leaves or enters a building should always be "protected" regardless.

The last wireless radio install that I just finished, we pulled a #6 ground to the roof and grounded the box, the tower and the radio. The customer is getting an in line surge protector. The radio is mounted on the tallest building downtown. The maint. guy got struck three years ago on the roof.
Grounding should be done even if lightning is not a problem. As I was told that something that operates on +5 and -5 volts it needs a good reference point.

As I was told that something that operates on +5 and -5 volts it needs a good reference point.

That has absolutely no basis in fact. Used to hear that about computers all the time too, usually from sparkies, CGs and IT people all of which have no idea what they are talking about.

Properly grounded yes, but not for that reason. And notice I said properly.

-Hal

True, the +/- 5 volts needs a reference point electrically, with regard to the circuit. The reference point has to do with the power supply, not with the surrounding environment.

The -5 volt output needs some place to find a positive in order for current to flow. Same thing applies with the +5 volt output, except that it seeks a negative. Basic electricity; a center-tapped 10 volt supply with the center tap being the "reference point".