I didn't even know it was raining. Dee opened the back door behind me in the den just as a huge rogue lightning strike happened right in my back yard. All power went out all over the neighborhood. Wow! Then I remembered that I still had the antennas connected to all my ham radio equipment. Can a preacher say "Oh crap!?" Well, this one did. I won't know if there is any damage until the power goes back on..... if it hit the tower, it could be major. Here's hoping not....
Ken - NM9P, Elmer
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- tense
Posted 2 years ago
- 942 Posts
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And it's OK to say "oh crap" (today! :-) )
Ken - NM9P, Elmer
- 4074 Posts
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Whew! Close call. Now to test the TV's, DVD Players, etc......
- 86 Posts
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Ken - NM9P, Elmer
- 4074 Posts
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Question: can a lightning strike cause a rig's front end to get noisier, or do I just need to sniff around for RF noise?
- 268 Posts
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I ended up sending it in and it turned out the Antenna relays blew. It seemingly worked fine but a few subtle changes turned out to be damage. Took about a week in the shop and 2 - relays but all iof s right again. Their assessment was a near miss from lightening
Mike N9DFD
- 129 Posts
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KY6LA - Howard, Elmer
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Oh, and as a Navy veteran, my vocabulary would have been much more colorful, with profane references to a variety of deities and body parts. And that's why we have forgiveness.
- 69 Posts
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
- 2276 Posts
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Casualty was the icom pro3's CI-V port.
Ken - NM9P, Elmer
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James
WD5GWY
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Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
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I also stand to lose a lot of $ in hardline and other parts in between the shack and antennas, so better to tell the adjuster that I took all precautions according to R56 and the NEC rather than creating a ground loop.
But that is just me.
- 437 Posts
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As a devout atheist .. I run low-hanging wire antennas exclusively!
<grin>
Ken - NM9P, Elmer
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KY6LA - Howard, Elmer
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- 339 Posts
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Sorry Ken but I did say JUST --- Glad everything looks to be OK...
- 60 Posts
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I religiously disconnect all my antennas, control lines, AC Power including computer. Computer connections are wireless. I also disconnect my ground in the shack! All my equipment floats and has no connection to the outside world. Over the last 50 years I have had 4 close strikes, two of which resulted in a call to the fire station - one by my neighbor who watched lightning hit the tower. The last strike resulted in a basement fire - you ought to try fighting a fire with a handheld extinguisher in the basement for excitement. I lost my TVs, stove, microwave, garage opener, Broadcast radio, household computer and had to replace a bunch of AC sockets and junction boxes - with associated wiring. However - nothing happened to my shack equipment! I use outside switch boxes to reduce the number of coax connections to disconnect and molex connectors on all control lines, basically I pigtail everything at the entrance to the shack. I have tower grounding, coax grounded at the top of the tower and surge suppression on coax and control lines at the bottom of the tower as well as at the entrance to the shack. With all this - it takes about 3 - 5 minutes to connect or disconnect the equipment. Pretty small investment.
I am a believer floating my equipment.
Keith - AC9S
- 63 Posts
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Glad to hear everything ok. I live where we do get lightening and I want to try and setup some arresters but have yet to find one that I trust.
Anyone have recommendations?
Howard... I hate to let you know this but as a So. Cal. Pilot for many years flying between SBA and San Dieo and various other places in SD. You do in fact get lightening. Back in the hills behind you they get quite a bit AND recently in OK they measured and confirmed a lightening bolt that measured 199 miles in length so I think your tower could still be at risk. Of course far less than others like Ken but still you are not immune.
Mark
Ken - NM9P, Elmer
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KY6LA - Howard, Elmer
- 3642 Posts
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Like I said, I am tempting the Lightning Gods. But then we would also have to get rain
My tower and antennas are connected 100% of the time for the past 15+ years This is especially true when I am remote like I am now.
I have only heard thunder once in 30 years in San Diego on the coast. Don't know about the mountains behind us.
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Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
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Ken - NM9P, Elmer
- 4074 Posts
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IC72 and IC-73 ($4) and two hour's labor.
It has been a long dry week without the"Big Kahuna" as the 6500 is affectionately called around here!
I am assuming that the two IC's are the ESD protection arrays.
I will be glad to be back on the air soon!
Ken - NM9P
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
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Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
- 9153 Posts
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Ken - NM9P, Elmer
- 4074 Posts
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Too bad there isn't an internal test routine that displays "You fried it! Front end now unprotected!". When that happens! Ha ha!
- 268 Posts
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Mike
Steve K9ZW, Elmer
- 1322 Posts
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Wish the good practice of sacrificial-protector ESD Diodes was more widely used. Wrote off much gear back when back-feed on the power line from a neighbor's tree 75 ft from the service easement being blown up by lightening.
Antenna protection didn't matter in this case, as one side of the 240v service and the ground were super-energized. Looked like an arc-welder had been fired off inside the cases when we opened the gear up.
73
Steve K9ZW
- 77 Posts
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I'd hate to think I'm listening through damaged diodes and not knowing it.
Worked Ulrich, VP6AH, on Pitcairn today. I was 5x7 with him, while he was 4x4 with me. Don't want to be an Alligator, all mouth and no ears.
73,
Gary W4EEY
- 340 Posts
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Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
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You could put a signal of known strength into the radio and read the output and if they differ significantly, then I would send the radio in for service.
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
- 9153 Posts
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Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
- 9153 Posts
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