Yeah.. but if that gap fires, the connector is (temporarily, at least) unusable because of the carbon track. If the goal of the "tower" protection is to reduce hassle having to go an replace/repair r
I remember seeing several articles in the 50's that used automobile spark plugs as lightning arresters. That was when you could get a plug w/o a built in resistor. Can you do that today? Comments? Ro
One of my favorite EE profs liked to use the words "zero length" to emphasize the potential significance of stray inductance, stray capacitance, and stray resistance in any given circuit. SIMPLE circ
YES! In ideal coax, there should be NO induced voltage, because the mutual coupling would be ideal. That requires a shield with zero resistance, and a shield that is perfectly uniform. But in real co
You can get non-resistor plugs. I've used them as vacuum HV feedthroughs. As a spark gap, they'd work ok, but a couple pieces of sheet metal might be easier and more compact. Things to think about wi
Jim Any construction examples anywhere on the net of the non-sparkplug approach? Sounds interesting. 73 jim ab3cv _______________________________________________ _____________________________________
ARRL handbook used to have an example. (look for an openwire line lightning arrestor).. it was just three pieces of sheet metal with angles cut to make a point. ___ _____ ______ You don't need to ove
All you need are two pointed conductors. One for the ground side and one for the center of the coax. They can be just that simple, or you can machine a fancy coax connector with adjustable points. Th
Just a minute. Using the words theory and fundamental science principles interchangeably is flawed. There is a big definition difference between these two. Theory can be defined as an assumption or g
The problem here is that most of electronics works with the "laws of physics", or very well proven theories that may be treated as if they are laws. Basic theory is part of the foundation of scientif
or I agree completely with Roger's comments. I would also like to point out that there is a problem with semantics. When I was first getting into ham radio, "the way things worked" that we learned to
Simple spark gaps are not so simple. Temperature, humidity, contamination by dirt etc will all make a difference on what voltage they arc at. Gas tubes are much simpler and more reliable for repeatab
The word "theory" has two different definitions that are almost completely opposite to each other. The only flaw is if you use the wrong one. The US National Academy of Sciences sums it up very neatl
Sorry to be so blunt, but that's a ridiculous distinction. A theory doesn't need to deviate from fundamental scientific principles at all, although it might indeed involve an assumption of some kind.
A hypothesis is a "concept" that becomes theory with valid data. That means theory has the weight of scientific research behind it. I can form the hypothesis that the sky is blue from a giant grating
Indeed, gas tubes are nice for that reason, BUT.. they do cost more than a couple pieces of wire (not much more), and I'm not sure that in this application you need that kind of control. After all, t
The problem from humidity comes from condensation and that condensation is far from pure, just check the PH. It'll conduct like crazy and with a .020 to .030" gap it's likely to bridge the gap creati
Gene, I didn't misread or overlook it at all. The function of an arrestor is to protect sensitive (and expensive) electronics from a strike. ALL IT DOES IS SHORT THE COAX. That remote switch is neith
wouldn't that same condensation also bridge the relay contacts? _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ TowerTalk mailing list TowerTalk@contes
It is NOT A BALUN, it is a CHOKE. It will act like any other impedance in series with a discharge path -- cause lightning to look for a lower impedance path to earth, perhaps arcing to that alternate