In Montana I had a Cushcraft XM240 at about 65 feet. I did not ground
the reflector and when storms started to brew you could hear and
sometimes see the static arcing at the mast to element bracket. You
could also hear it on the radio using the SteppIR mounted below it. The
closer the storms got the faster the clicking or arcing got.
Whenever I heard that noise I knew it was time to look around and get
off the radio.
Mike W0MU
On 4/20/2015 7:48 AM, Patrick Greenlee wrote:
David, I had that same tick, tick, tick from my marine band VHF with
masthead antenna. At first I thought it was my knotmeter's log but
the tick rate got way too fast for our boat speed. I went hunting for
the sound and it was arcing at the chassis mount UHF connector, I took
my chances, unplugged the antenna, put a jumper across the PL-259 and
stuck the coax down by the propshaft to offer a safe path for any
lightning. Nothing happened, no damage to the radio, no lightning was
evident at all then or for the rest of the day. Later in port
(Catalina Harbor on the west side of the isthmus on Santa Catalina
Island) I gingerly checked things out and returned the antenna to the
radio which still worked fine.
If two of us had this happen then it is likely not especially rare
although you are the only other person to volunteer this experience to
my knowledge.
Patrick NJ5G
On 4/20/2015 6:30 AM, David Robbins wrote:
I had to replace the front end protection diodes in a cb once. I
started hearing this tick-tick-tick sound from the radio, the
receiver went dead, then there was a lightning flash a mile or two
away. then it started ticking again until the next flash. I pulled
the antenna line off the radio and it was arcing across inside the
pl-259. this was out on a high dry plane out west, I don't think the
storm ever got rain to the ground but it sure made an impressive
lightning show.
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