Master Studying

[patman]

First of all, let me say thanks for adding this section into this forum. Could have used it months ago for some code help...
Been studying off and on for the Masters license. Here is a question that tossed me for a loop.
Q. A grounding conductor installed over lightning cables for the purpose of interconnecting the system ground electrodes and providing lightning protection for the cables is called ______?

The answer is COUNTERPOISE.

I cannot find any reference to this in any study guides or old school books. Is this something learned out in the field?
What kind of study materials do I need for questions like these?

[mdshunk]

That word "counterpoise" does not appear in the code anywhere. The trouble with some master's exams is that not all the questions are code questions. Some of them can only be answered by having gained actual field knowledge. This is one of those questions. I must admit that I have never done lightning systems, and I would not have known the answer. Don't beat yourself up over one question like that. That probably one of the ones that maybe 5% of the test takers would answer correctly.

[Roger]

I've never heard of this either so I asked my neighbor who is a telecommunications technician for Sprint assigned to tower maintenance. He said it is very common to have counterpoise systems installed on their antennas. It is used as a supplement for earth ground but is never connected to earth. Seems that is contradictory to what this test question states.

[Ohm1]

When taking the masters exam, the questions will not be based purely on the NEC, you will have a wide range of questions from different documents based on the Washington State Exam format. The theory (not to forget, some theory is in the NEC) questions you will have, will have to be gained through other sources: Ugly's; Tom Henny's book on theory; Mike Holt; And one of my Favorite--Seven-eleven, and many more.

The Masters exam is simular to the WA State Adminstrators exam. Check LNI's site on exam information.