Lightning?

[oceanliner]

Just curious as to what you long time operators do when mother nature decides to throw some lightning your way.

So far i been unplugging coax and throwing it out the window, However, i am worried about the ends soaking up water and teh other day i turned on radio and almost keyed up before i plugged coax back in YIKES!!!!!


Anyway what do you fellas do?

[djrebel236]

i just key up the mic and keep on talking, i dont unplug nothing nore do i shut things off...Dj

[coondog]

i have two friends that experienced the havoc that Mother Nature dishes out.one was the lightning completely blew up his I-Max,luckily it didn"t travel down to his radio.the other wasn"t so fortunate.blew his ant.,went to his radio and destroyed the radio,amp,meter,and the computer that was on the desk.myself,i unplug the coax and stick it in a jar away from the equipment.no need to stick it outside to get rained on.

[Hard Drive]

Coondog, I know that feeling!!!

[firefighter]

how about a lightning arrester that goes inline w/ the coax...I dont know how good they work, but I'm putting up a antenna and probably going to get one...

[Falcon99V]

I used to disconnect every time it got bad out but in NE Ohio the weather changes quickly and I got tired of running to my equipment so, I haven't disconnected for a few yrs plus and so far (knock on wood) I still have good equipment running! Hasn't blown it away. What I used to do if it was real bad was disconnect and put the end in a jar. I suppose if I thought of it now I would do the same but haven't done it for yrs.

[BULLDAWG715]

Good day to all, well i had an Antron 99 blown outta a pine a few years back, blew the knobs off the radio also. Got a Imax 2000 back in the same tree now... Also putting up a 46 ft Rohn tower with Maco 103 beams in a few days. For now i just unplug my coxial and put it in an ammo can now... been researching a bit of info
http://www.polyphaser.com/NR/ ... TD1016.pdf
and
http://www.dxzone.com/catalog ... rotection/
I am down here in the sand pile and gonna have to something soon... i will also appreciate any advise from you guys.
Bulldawg 715

[PONY EXPRESS]

Well with natures super charged fury I find it best to leave all the chances of natures fury disconnected outside .


With lightning arrestors still in line I unhook the other side of the coax that screws into it and run it as far away from the coax as possible.
I then have short wire jumpers that we screw into pl 259 type connectors hooked to ground and center conductor and take direct to a ground rod with center and shield shorted and hose clamped to ground rod .
Now to those who live in glass houses you tell me whats going to happen when that lightning comes through your coax into your house and shatters that glass jar into a million pieces . Metal ammo boxes ???? Come on guys where does that lightning jump from there?

Do you let bugs and ants come into your house 1st before you start spraying bug insecticides or do you take care of the problem on the outside 1st?

Lightning arrestors are used to discharge static electricity to help prevent a buildup that allows a buildup of static to create a path from ground to the storm .
You have to prevent it on the outside guys keep it outside don't give it a direct path into your homes.

Now power lines is a different issue we just unplug it all from our ac outlets when it comes to computers and radios. I feel then I have done my part to keep insurance cost down..

[lonesome 500]

be prepared to replace equipment if ever hit..wither ant or coax..........

the trick is to minimize damage to other equip in your household


unhook....deadshort.........masking ground

[beebuzzbee]

Nice picture HD, I'm surprised the skin is still over the coax, what happen to the radio equipments?

[Circuit Breaker]

i just key up the mic and keep on talking, i dont unplug nothing nore do i shut things off...Dj

And that's one of the dumbest things you can do. It's only a matter of time.

That being said, there is no device that will keep lightning from striking your antenna and possibly taking out your radio(s). There are plenty of things you can do to help give lightning a better path to ground, but the best way of making sure lightning does not take out your equipment is to disconnect it.

I have a SteppIR vertical. This antenna covers every frequency from 7 to 54 MHz. The antenna is a 32 ft tall fiberglass mast with a reel of copper tape at the base with a stepper motor. A micro-processor controller that sits in the shack controls the stepper motor and reels out or reels in the right amount of copper tape to form a 1/4 vertical on 40, 30, 20 and 17 meters. On 15, 12, 11, 10 and 6 meters it can be a 3/4 wavelength antenna. It also has the ability to completely retract the copper tape to reduce damage either from lightning or wind. I have this antenna mounted at ground level in the backyard with 60 radials buried in the ground. I also have the antenna tied connected to two 8 ft copper ground rods. The antenna works very well. Anyway, in September 2006, a thunderstorm approached the area. I retracted the copper tape and disconnected the coax from the radio. However, I did NOT disconnect the 7 wire control cable from the controller that was sitting right next to the radio. Lightning hit the PL-259 connector at the base of the antenna...burned out the stepper motor, came up the control cable, took out the controller, arched over from the metal case of the controller over to the metal chassis of my Icom 746, went down the DC ground that I made from copper braid going to the ground of the AC outlet, jumped over to the router for our Verizon Fios Internet service and fried it. From there, the lightning went two directions...it went into my PC frying the Ethernet card. The other half of it went up the cat 5 cable to the junction box on the other side of the house and fried it...taking out the TV and telephone service with it.

Verizon had everything back up and running within 30 minutes the next day. But I had to take my antenna down, dis-assemble it and send the controller and base section containing the stepper motor up to Washingston state where Fluid Motion is located. It wasn't a cheap repair bill. Now, I retract the antenna, disconnect the coax AND the control cable. I just leave the ends sitting on my wooden desk. A glass jar will do little to stop lightning. After all, air is an insulator and lightning makes it through that.

[linx]

There's pretty much 2 types of arrestors, you've got the glass fuse looking one, and the more high dollar ones like Poly Phaser makes. I use a Poly Phaser, and while it's not cheap, it's supposed to take multiple hits, were as the glass fuse looking arrestor will take 1 hit and need to be replaced. I still unplug my equipment during a storm, but with the right installation, Poly Phaser believes in their product so much, that they'll replace your equipment if damaged!

I've got a new Cushcraft ready to go on the tower, but I'm just trying to decide if I want to install it, or just be mobile for a while. I'm sick of scares of lightning and tornado's.

[PONY EXPRESS]

There's pretty much 2 types of arrestors, you've got the glass fuse looking one, and the more high dollar ones like Poly Phaser makes. I use a Poly Phaser, and while it's not cheap, it's supposed to take multiple hits, were as the glass fuse looking arrestor will take 1 hit and need to be replaced. I still unplug my equipment during a storm, but with the right installation, Poly Phaser believes in their product so much, that they'll replace your equipment if damaged!

I've got a new Cushcraft ready to go on the tower, but I'm just trying to decide if I want to install it, or just be mobile for a while. I'm sick and scared of lightning and tornado's.

Well you might as well go up with it as your tower is already there... Everyday I go out and deliver mail in a T Storm if it gets to where its instantaneous flash and boom I need to stand on a porch until that part of the storm passes. We just have to be smart and pay attention .I still have to plug along in the rain and deliver that wet mail..... So when T Storms are called for just go outside and unhook its the same as CLICK IT or TICKET while driving .While I am at work I don't have any worries when I see those clouds starting to roll in and T Storms developing .
Someone else mentioned the control cable on stepr antenna we also unhook out rotor cable outside with quick disconnects

[djrebel236]

im not trying to be a "Bad Influcence" but i have been hit twice, both times i would unplug everything and stuff, but any more since im ground out my stuff, i dont worry to much, buy a 4 or 8 foot rod and some copper wire and ground your stuff, i have had no problems yet this time since i dont run around unpluging eveything, if ya gonna get zapped, it will happen no matter what ya do, its the nature of the beast...Dj

[Visegrip]

I got a buddy who got hit by lightning it blew every receptacle in his house and blasted the radio and box.

But the best part is his homeowners covered everything

[Hard Drive]

beebuzzbee, I had just unplug my equipment 5 min before lightning took out my antenna.

[pipsqueek]

Lightning, eh? One of my pet gripes since in the past, I've been hit twice.

Big hit... it doesn't matter what protection you have, you'll sustain damage.

Better yet, don't get hit.....there are ways to avoid the dreaded strike. I've written about it extensively on this site....google it.

Then again, this is mother nature and nothing is written in stone, but so far so good for me.

Pips

[721HACKSAW]

There is no such thing as an insulator when it comes to the power of lightning, every thing in this world will conduct electricity it is just a matter of how much. I try to keep an eye out for possible problems and unhook the coax when ever storms approach. Have enough insurance also, take pictures and make lists for a possible claim if needed.

[Poser]

I just set up a mobile in my home with a power supply, its nothing special it was a gift from my brother. I bought a starduster antenna and put it on a 10' mast with 50' of coax. My brother who is also has a general class amateur license told me not to ground the antenna because it would make it more likely to be hit by lightening I'm just trying to figure out whats best. And whats the deal about disconnecting your coax and putting the end in a jar? any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Ohio_359]

My brother who is also has a general class amateur license told me not to ground the antenna because it would make it more likely to be hit by lightening I'm just trying to figure out whats best.

That's not true. The best thing to do it to place 2 preferably 3 ground rods (no need to go 8' deep) at the tower base. From those rods run 3-4 radials buried the depth of a shovel 10' or more in length. Use copper strap instead of wire for best results. You really can't do anything to avoid a strike, but you want to dissipate as much of it as possible, as quickly as possible to ground.

Google it up!

[paBullwinkle]

I personally have a 8' ground rod pounded into the ground and 6 gauge wire running to the antenna from the rod. I unhook the coax and plug it into a custom built so-239 connector thats jumped to ground AND dead shorted. Knock on wood some bad storms have come through no lightning has hit here.

[443 Arizona]

hi Ron, the coax grounded creates a path for major juice and you'll end up replacing it
.. i rely on the good grounded tower.
i have had 2 strong jolts and a few trickles over the years, the coax was not connected, hanging in a plastic coffee can.
luckily i'm usually around to tend to it... BUT, have been connected during what i considered non-threating storms only to get a static dissipative-type trickle hit,,, no damage.
lightning=weird stuff=be safe
it didt-didnt-didn't affect mme,

p.s. alot of us probably have plenty of electronics on the same bench, so i always move coax completely off the bench area and leave it ungrounded.

[paBullwinkle]

if i have to replace my coax cable to save my life and my family's life by golly im going to do it.

[420Snowman]

Poly phaser is the best route to go, like linx said, they take multiple hits and guarantee it won't damage your station or they will replace it up to a certain dollar amount. The glass jar method is a wives tale, all that will do is blow that jar into a million little pieces, you may as well let the coax sit on the floor! At least no glass to pick up! I have a Poly phaser and I don't un hook anything during storms and am very comfortable doing so.

Snowman
Sent from my HTC mobile.

[420Snowman]

I personally have a 8' ground rod pounded into the ground and 6 gauge wire running to the antenna from the rod. I unhook the coax and plug it into a custom built so-239 connector thats jumped to ground AND dead shorted. Knock on wood some bad storms have come through no lightning has hit here.

This is also a very good method, this has proven to work by a friend of mine, although it will still ruin the coax obviously but saves everything else!

Snowman
Sent from my HTC mobile.