The Basic lessons · Station assembly, practice and safety · B-003-020

Station Safety: Lightning, Towers, and RF Burns

This lesson explains how to protect your home and equipment from lightning strikes and how to stay safe while climbing towers or working with antennas. You will learn the correct procedures to prevent severe electrical burns and falls.

This lesson is part of SignalPrep Pro. The subsection's 11 exam questions are free to practise: practise B-003-020.

What this subsection asks

• Why should you ground all antenna and rotator cables when your station is not in use?
• You want to install a lightning surge protector on your transmission line, where should it be inserted?
• How can your station equipment best be protected from lightning damage?
• What equipment should be worn for working on an antenna tower?
• Why should you wear approved fall arrest equipment if you are working on an antenna tower?
• For safety, how high should you place a horizontal wire antenna?
• Why should you wear a hard hat if you are on the ground helping someone work on an antenna tower?
• Why should your outside antennas be high enough so that no one can touch them while you are transmitting?
• Why should you make sure that no one can touch an open-wire transmission line while you are transmitting with it?
• What safety precautions should you take before beginning repairs on an antenna?
• What safety precaution is especially important for a ground-mounted antenna?