Some interesting points, I'd forgotten about the QST storm approach
device, which would probably address half of the question. The other
half seems at first to be a little more problematic.
It seems there are two types of detection that need to be considered, an
actual strike to a mast or tower, and induction from nearby strikes.
Whether or not the detectors sold by Polyphaser work on one or both is
not clear from the catalogue.
Looking at the Polyphaser catalogue picture suggests that two probes are
attached to a tower leg several metres apart. Does this suggest that
they are looking for a potential difference to exist between the two
points to determine if an 'event' has occurred? If this is so, then a
maybe a strike detector is not such a complicated device, a differential
amplifier driving a counter maybe. I wondered about the susceptibility
of 'sensitive' circuitry but if everything rises and falls at pretty
much the same time then maybe this is not an issue.
Is this same sort of device going to work on non-direct strikes. I'm
thinking that it should since the tower's inductance remains unchanged,
will there not always be a difference in voltage between two points,
induced or otherwise?
Comments appreciated.
Martin de HS0/G4UQF
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