Topband: Lightning protectors

[Harold Smith]

I have a couple VHF protectors, and see them on ebay much more often than 
the HF protectors.  Is there any reason I should not be able to take a VHF 
protector and put in an .01 cap and use it on HF.  I mean.... the lightning 
doesn't know or care what the label on the protector says, does it?  (there 
is no such thing as a vhf or an hv gas tube, is there?)
I've never seen a construction article on "build your own lightning 
arrestor,"  And I wonder what's the big deal?  I'd like to take an aluminum 
box, put a bunch of SO239 connectors on it, some caps, and some gas tubes, 
and integrate it all together.  The heck with this $65 per lightning 
arrestor stuff.  Anyone have any knowledge on this subject?

Rick  K2XT


Rick and all:

I have not taken a VHF/UHF Polyphaser apart. I would imagine that the series 
capacitance would have a much smaller value than the HF models.

If you would construct your own version in an aluminum box and 
multi-connectors, capacitors and Gas tubes. I believe that you are asking
for problems. I would think that the change in the impedance, Xc and Xl 
would present a real problem.

To Roger Johnson's comment about the series capacitor:   The series 
capacitance serves only to keep the conduction voltage of the gas-discharge
tube from reaching the equipment. If it had only the capacitors, with a 
lightning discharge the series capacitor would vaporize and your equipment
would also be toast. I will try and measure the conduction voltage of the 
Gas tube later today.

I have 80ft of Rohn 45G with a 5el Telrex 20M546 at 80ft, 3el on 15 at 90 ft 
and 3el on 10 at 100ft. It is the highest structure for several miles.
I have everything protected with Polyphaser equipment, installed with an 
extensive ground system as they recommend. They have a very good hand
book on lightning protection.

It blows my mind that so many people have thousands of dollars invested in 
their equipment and are not willing to put a few hundred dollars to
help minimize damage from lightning. There is nothing that will give 100% 
protection. You can only reduce the effects from an Atomic Bomb to a 
Firecracker.
If you disconnect your equipment, the lightning will still get into your 
house and do damage. If you disconnest all cables at the tower and roll up 
all cables
far away from the tower then you perhaps will be okay

Most of the lightning protection sold won't help very much IE: B**TZ-B*G and 
etc. The only ones that I know personally that do work are Polyphaser and
ICE (International Communications Engineers, LTD).

73 Price W0RI