Hello:

Anyone have any strong opinions regarding PolyPhaser, ICE, and Alpha Delta
Lightning Arresters ?

Would be for a receive only antenna.

Do I want the dc blocked variety, or doesn't it matter for receive only (0.5
to 30 MHz) ?

Thanks,
Bob

"Robert11" wrote:

Hello:

Anyone have any strong opinions regarding PolyPhaser, ICE, and Alpha Delta
Lightning Arresters ?

Would be for a receive only antenna.

Do I want the dc blocked variety, or doesn't it matter for receive only (0.5
to 30 MHz) ?

Thanks,
Bob


Polyphaser is the best in the industry, bar none. I've used them and
have nothing but high praise for them.

ICE has a pretty good reputation as well.

I don't know if A-D still makes it, but at one time they had a design
out there that would actually INCREASE the amount of damage a strike
or induced EMF from a nearby strike would cause -- it had a gas tube
tied from center-conductor to ground, but no connection (gas tube or
otherwise) from shield to ground. Basically a "please, kill my
equipment" device.

I know A-D sells other designs, but since they sold that one at all,
I'm wary of them.

The designs I like are all DC blocked gas tubes, but you don't have to
go that way. I know Polyphaser sells some gas tube/semiconductor
versions that will do well on broadband receive as well.


--
Eric F. Richards

"Nature abhors a vacuum tube." -- Myron Glass,
often attributed to J. R. Pierce, Bell Labs, c. 1940

"junius" wrote:

I've used one of those Alpha Delta Zapp Trappers that came with an
Eavesdropper antenna and also have used the Alpha Delta Delta Four
switch w/ "Arc plug" cartridge. Okay so far in using either of these.

If there's an advantage gained by going with the Polyphaser product as
opposed to the Alpha Delta lightning protection mentioned above, could
any knowledgeable person please let us know?

thanks,

junius

See my earlier post on the subject.

The worst sort of protection is the kind that actually makes things
worse, such as a discharge-tube ("arc plug") that only protects one of
the two antenna conductors.

A far more common approach is to take the discharge tube, connect it
to the center conductor of the coax and then bond the ground side to
the shield of the coax. This is what the suppressor sold by MFJ,
among others, does. If your A-D switch does this, at least it won't
assist in frying your gear.

PolyPhaser and ICE add a blocking capacitor and fast-acting gas tubes.
The speed at which they fire matters.

For receive-only application, PolyPhaser also provides semiconductor
protectors, but they aren't as durable as their gas tube protectors.

I personally use IS-B50LU-C0 (or IS-50LU-C0) Polyphasers for my HF
equipment and they have gotten me through a number of hairy
situations, including one direct strike.

Whatever you use, make sure it is used as part of a mitigation system.
Putting a supressor in-line all by itself won't do you any good at
all.


--
Eric F. Richards

"Nature abhors a vacuum tube." -- Myron Glass,
often attributed to J. R. Pierce, Bell Labs, c. 1940