Study › Technician › T0B › T0B09

T0B09

SAFETY · Antenna safety: tower safety and grounding, installing antennas, antenna supports

T0B09T0B →

Why should you avoid attaching an antenna to a utility pole?

  1. AThe antenna will not work properly because of induced voltages
  2. BThe antenna may unbalance the power transformer, causing power fluctuations
  3. CThe antenna could contact high-voltage power lines
  4. DAll these choices are correct
Why Utility poles carry energized primary distribution conductors, often several thousand volts, and there is no safe clearance for an amateur antenna, feed line, or the person climbing to install it. Any contact between the antenna, mast, or coax and those lines can be instantly fatal and can also start a fire. Beyond safety, the pole belongs to the utility, and attaching anything to it is not permitted.
Watch out Induced voltage and detuning effects near power lines are real annoyances, but they are nuisance issues, not the reason the practice is forbidden; the pool wants the lethal-contact hazard, so 'all these choices' is not right either.
Utility pole = high voltage overhead. Keep antennas far enough away that a fall cannot reach the wires.
HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.
← T0B08 All of T0B T0B10 →

The rest of T0B

  1. T0B01 Which of the following is good practice when installing ground wires on a tower for lightning protection?
  2. T0B02 What is required when climbing an antenna tower?
  3. T0B03 Under what circumstances is it safe to climb a tower without a helper or observer?
  4. T0B04 Which of the following is an important safety precaution to observe when putting up an antenna tower?
  5. T0B05 What is the purpose of a safety wire through a turnbuckle used to tension guy lines?
  6. T0B06 What is the minimum safe distance from a power line to allow when installing an antenna?
  7. T0B07 Which of the following is an important safety rule to remember when using a crank-up tower?
  8. T0B08 Which is a proper grounding method for a tower?
  9. T0B09 Why should you avoid attaching an antenna to a utility pole?
  10. T0B10 Which of the following is true when installing grounding conductors used for lightning protection?
  11. T0B11 Which of the following establishes grounding requirements for an amateur radio tower or antenna?
ARRL Ham Radio License ManualSponsored · View on Amazon →Yaesu FT-65R VHF/UHF Dual Band HandheldSponsored · View on Amazon →