> Why not do the right thing by putting a lightning arrestor like a
> Polyphaser at the point where the coax enters the shack connected to a
> couple of ground rods? It's not a lightning protection *system* but it
> should protect your radio frontend from these static buildups.
>
> This is probably the easiest option as well since it's at ground
> level
> and you don't have to fool with the antenna.
Polyphaser and other lightning arrestors do almost zero for
protecting HF receivers. The problem is they have a breakdown
voltage of about a kilovolt, and the receiver has a failure voltage of a
few hundred volts or less.
The solution I use is relays, that automatically disconnect the
center conductor. The RCS-8V does this, and the relay shorting
bar goes to ground giving excellent protection.
An additional idea that would probably help is some kind of high
resistance leakage or perhaps a choke, that would drain off the
charge that builds up across the series capacitance before it
discharges into the radio.
73, Tom W8JI
w8ji@contesting.com
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