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About lightning etc...
I AmnotGeorgeBush wrote:
You saw the green flash! No, just kidding! I have seen a similar example. Flash right through the house in a horizontal line many years ago at the same time as a direct strike, but the ball did not hang around at all. It shot from one end to the other and disappeared..and this was INSIDE. It's been a long time. Nobody believed me when I told them about the ball lightning the first time. I was only eight or nine. In the early eighties, I watched a huge storm on July 4 in the west in Indiana. I saw three large balls of lightning travel parellel to the ground from cloud to cloud. It was far away. No telling just how big they were. I also saw lightning dance along a wire fence of the hog lot. It was always a real show to watch the summer storms off over the edge of the mountain and listen to the thunder and the rain on a tin roof. You can't keep awake for long. What a sweet lullabye. |
About lightning etc...
"Jan Panteltje" wrote in message news:1127926193.6d66811f87a46474e518cebaf7e7d146@t eranews... On a sunny day (Wed, 28 Sep 2005 10:07:43 -0500) it happened "Chad Wahls" wrote in : yPhasers do work They have done a good job of protecting all the broadcast equipment I have installed over the years and they have protected many ham and CB rigs also. http://www.polyphaser.com/kommerce_p...px?class=M0044 Chad Hi Chad, thank you! lots of info on that site. I just did read this: http://www.polyphaser.com/ppc_TD1016.aspx and it gives me some good ideas how to do things. A direct strike will vaporize that little box. Not to dis polyphaser, they make some excellent products all up and down the line but those discharge tubes WILL NOT protect against a direct strike. NONE, NADA. Kevin, WB5RUE ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
About lightning etc...
On a sunny day (Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:26:20 -0500) it happened "Kevin, WB5RUE"
wrote in : I just did read this: http://www.polyphaser.com/ppc_TD1016.aspx and it gives me some good ideas how to do things. A direct strike will vaporize that little box. Not to dis polyphaser, they make some excellent products all up and down the line but those discharge tubes WILL NOT protect against a direct strike. NONE, NADA. Kevin, WB5RUE I am aware of that Kevin, but it has some great ideas how to make good earth at the mast, and also it reminded me to somehow connect the coax screen to the mast, now it is isolated. Probably the GPA base will flash over, but better if the electrons go to ground then if these go down the coax (outside) even if it is disconnected. There are some other good suggestions on that site too... In any case I will try to get my lightning detector working, and disconnect if it detects anything. As for the lightning detection electronics - I am now planning on the tuned ferrite rod, followed by a FET then by a PIC microcontroller... the small ones I have can replace a LOT of logic for pulse detection and processing, and have a comparator build in to detect precise voltage levels. PIC12F629 I have here a box full of... The advantage is that I can re-program the thing once I get a better idea what the lighting signals look like (so less false alarm). The price of these PICs is about a dollar :-) Only 8 pins DIL, internal oscillator, few micro amps power, hardly any other components needed, except for a beeper of sorts as alarm. |
About lightning etc...
"Jan Panteltje" wrote in message news:1128121187.cd7b4cc1bdd8545b9d41c7ec94da4169@t eranews... On a sunny day (Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:26:20 -0500) it happened "Kevin, WB5RUE" wrote in : I just did read this: http://www.polyphaser.com/ppc_TD1016.aspx and it gives me some good ideas how to do things. A direct strike will vaporize that little box. Not to dis polyphaser, they make some excellent products all up and down the line but those discharge tubes WILL NOT protect against a direct strike. NONE, NADA. Kevin, WB5RUE I am aware of that Kevin, but it has some great ideas how to make good earth at the mast, and also it reminded me to somehow connect the coax screen to the mast, now it is isolated. Probably the GPA base will flash over, but better if the electrons go to ground then if these go down the coax (outside) even if it is disconnected. There are some other good suggestions on that site too... In any case I will try to get my lightning detector working, and disconnect if it detects anything. As for the lightning detection electronics - I am now planning on the tuned ferrite rod, followed by a FET then by a PIC microcontroller... the small ones I have can replace a LOT of logic for pulse detection and processing, and have a comparator build in to detect precise voltage levels. PIC12F629 I have here a box full of... The advantage is that I can re-program the thing once I get a better idea what the lighting signals look like (so less false alarm). The price of these PICs is about a dollar :-) Only 8 pins DIL, internal oscillator, few micro amps power, hardly any other components needed, except for a beeper of sorts as alarm. It doesn't matter really how good your ground system is. If your antenna takes a direct strike and 99.999% of the energy goes into the ground you will still get several thousand volts (or hundreds of thousands of volts) coming down your coax. Unless you are willing to spend thousands of dollars on an active lightning protection system your only protection is to disconnect. Kevin, WB5RUE ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
About lightning etc...
"BTM" wrote in message ... Kevin Muenzler, WB5RUE Wrote: "jim" wrote in message ...- Jan Panteltje wrote: - I had the new GPA behind the house up last week.... To make sure I had the best SWR and best signal, I use thick coax, and left out the coupling piece I had that I used to disconnect in case lighting was expected. The weather report was good, with a drop of rain, and the sky was-- clear....-- I went to sleep. At 3.25 last night I woke up because of an incredible flash and BANG. Thought "have to buy new gear now, pity..." hehe). LOL But nothing was smoking, counted seconds between flashes (more now), it was overhead alright. But my neighbor (50 meters away) has a higher mast. Anyway, it started raining, usually there is enough conductive path then for it not no strike, I went outside in pyamas, waited for a flash, (clouds take time to charge up again) and cut the coax, folded it back, so there was some meters separation. Went to bed again, noticed I was wet... Just now I put some connecters and a coupling piece, so that is fixed. So, anyways the sky is clear and the sun shines, and the SWR is slightly better now... But now I am thinking 'lightning detector', I know these exist, was it-- not-- a simple ferrite rod with a detector (for low frequencies)? Does anyone here use these? Good diagrams? I should google anyways.... Anyways I made some other changes too, I am now running the set from a-- 12 Ah-- 12V gel battery, It is charged continously with an AC/DC adapter, no large power supplies-- needed.-- and I can use things when electricity fails, say in case of flooding. _________________________________________ Usenet Zone Free Binaries Usenet Server More than 140,000 groups Unlimited download http://www.usenetzone.com to open account- all the work to set up a station and no lightning protection scheme? there are many ways to protect the equipment including gas discharge kit. any surge protection on the ac input?- Nothing that would be worth buying to protect a CB rig will stop a direct strike. A direct strike will vaporize a gas discharge kit on its way to your radio. But then if you want to spend a few thousand dollars you can get direct-strike protection. Kevin, WB5RUE ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- I know nothing really will stop a direct strike but the more 90 degree turns you can make with you coax before entry the better! lightning doesnt like 90 degree angles, also i bring my coax all the way to the ground with a gas discharge unit at its lowest point then 90 back up to entry,most likely a drop in the bucket but ive never been wiped out. I also have 15 or so ground rods spread every 4 ft connected with stranded bare #6 then i covered it with dirt most of this is for field ground but field ground should be bonded to antenna ground always and is in my case, also bond them to your service ground,i also run my equipment off of battery backup units with avr and really nice surge clamping characteristics UPC and Cyberpower make nice units that stops that third order harmonic feedback wipe out thru your power in case of a strike well this is just my poormans attempt to protect my equipment Cheers BTM Yeah, and Santa Claus ate the cookies too. Lightning will take whatever path is there no matter how complex. It will go right through your gas discharge and Cyberpower UPS. Remember this spark has just traveled several miles to get to you. A few inches of gas or plastic isn't even going to slow it down. Kevin, WB5RUE ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
About lightning etc...
//snip//
I know nothing really will stop a direct strike but the more 90 degree turns you can make with you coax before entry the better! lightning doesnt like 90 degree angles, also i bring my coax all the way to the ground with a gas discharge unit at its lowest point then 90 back up to entry,most likely a drop in the bucket but ive never been wiped out. I also have 15 or so ground rods spread every 4 ft connected with stranded bare #6 then i covered it with dirt most of this is for field ground but field ground should be bonded to antenna ground always and is in my case, also bond them to your service ground,i also run my equipment off of battery backup units with avr and really nice surge clamping characteristics UPC and Cyberpower make nice units that stops that third order harmonic feedback wipe out thru your power in case of a strike well this is just my poormans attempt to protect my equipment Cheers BTM Yeah, and Santa Claus ate the cookies too. Lightning will take whatever path is there no matter how complex. It will go right through your gas discharge and Cyberpower UPS. Remember this spark has just traveled several miles to get to you. A few inches of gas or plastic isn't even going to slow it down. Kevin, WB5RUE I completely agree with Kevin. The only benefit these extra gadgets have is if there is a close strike and it helps to reject stray voltage from the bolt. Ive had two TV sets go down due to this, you can tell the difference... the stray voltage from a bolt of lightning will pop components on a board... a direct hit will make it explode... The only way to protect your equipment is to disconnect it AND either move the co-ax away or the radio itself. It doesnt help much disconnecting it and leaving it an inch from the radio. Regards, Graham |
About lightning etc...
"The Magnum" wrote in message ... //snip// I know nothing really will stop a direct strike but the more 90 degree turns you can make with you coax before entry the better! lightning doesnt like 90 degree angles, also i bring my coax all the way to the ground with a gas discharge unit at its lowest point then 90 back up to entry,most likely a drop in the bucket but ive never been wiped out. I also have 15 or so ground rods spread every 4 ft connected with stranded bare #6 then i covered it with dirt most of this is for field ground but field ground should be bonded to antenna ground always and is in my case, also bond them to your service ground,i also run my equipment off of battery backup units with avr and really nice surge clamping characteristics UPC and Cyberpower make nice units that stops that third order harmonic feedback wipe out thru your power in case of a strike well this is just my poormans attempt to protect my equipment Cheers BTM Yeah, and Santa Claus ate the cookies too. Lightning will take whatever path is there no matter how complex. It will go right through your gas discharge and Cyberpower UPS. Remember this spark has just traveled several miles to get to you. A few inches of gas or plastic isn't even going to slow it down. Kevin, WB5RUE I completely agree with Kevin. The only benefit these extra gadgets have is if there is a close strike and it helps to reject stray voltage from the bolt. Ive had two TV sets go down due to this, you can tell the difference... the stray voltage from a bolt of lightning will pop components on a board... a direct hit will make it explode... The only way to protect your equipment is to disconnect it AND either move the co-ax away or the radio itself. It doesnt help much disconnecting it and leaving it an inch from the radio. Regards, Graham And then there's the proximity factor...namely, every piece of wire in your home acting as the other half of a transformer, the lightning being the primary. Induced voltages are just as deadly to electronics. |
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