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Topband: More - lightning protection on 4 sq

To: "TopBand" <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Topband: More - lightning protection on 4 sq
From: "David Raymond" <daraymond@iowatelecom.net>
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:43:22 -0500
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
Greetings everyone. . .

I received several responses to my email regarding installation of lightning 
protection on my 160 meter four square.  Several people suggested I put a 
Polyphaser on the coax output of the Comtek box. . .the coax going to the rig.  
In my case, the lightning did not enter the Comtek box via the coax going to 
the rig (it's buried with a Polyphaser on the rig end of the coax).  Lightning 
came into the Comtek box from one of the vertical elements of the array itself. 
 

Several people suggested spark gap arrestors, shorted 1/4 wave stubs, or choke 
shunts (ala Array Solutions) on the elements.  These approaches would, no 
doubt, help.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a firm answer to the real question.  
Will the addition of the standard DC blocked Polyphasers (basically, a big 
series cap) installed on one end of each coax phasing line, alter and destroy 
the correct phasing of the array?  A couple of people said they thought it 
would but weren't sure.  It would seem that inserting a large amount of C in 
series with the phasing line would have to alter its electrical length. . . and 
ruin the phasing in the process.  If so Polyphasers wouldn't work, leaving the 
spark gap, stub, or choke solutions.  Is my thinking on track?

73 . . . Dave
W0FLS

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