Topband: PolyPhaser Model IS-50UX-C0

[Harold Smith]

>> Not quite! The spark gap will arc at the peak voltage on the line. 350
>> volts peak is only 1225 watts on a 50 Ohm line and that is with a 1 to 1
>> SWR.
>>
>> There seems to be some confusion between draining static charges and
>> lightning protection. About the only thing that will give you lightning
>> protection is a hefty spark gap at the base of the antenna.

Most of the time the tower is hit and the voltage is induced in the coax. A 
tall approximately 1:1 transformer.
>>
>> I just had a thought about RADAR technology. When the spark gap at the
>> antenna fires, it will produce a low impedance at that point. This means
>> that 1/4 wave down the line will be a high impedance point. Perhaps this
>> would be a good point to install a Polyphaser type of suppressor.
>>
>> 73, Roger
>
> The voltage from a lightning strike is mostly DC not AC. If it would 
> breakdown at 1225 watts, then why does
> PolyPhaser rate this model at 2000 watts from 1.5 to 50 mHz. Also what is 
> a quarter-wave at the lightning frenquency?
>
> I have my PolyPhaser equipment on the side of my house where the cables 
> enter. 16 years and no real problems. My array
> goes up to 100ft and it is the tallest structure for miles in 
> "Thunder-Storm Alley".
>
> 73 Price

I checked the output of the high-voltage supply with my Techtronics 422 
scope and it is pulsating DC. It uses 1X2A rectifiers and almost no 
capacitance.
It goes from 100 volts to 12,000 volts @ less than 1 mA. So the breakdown 
voltage must be higher than 350 volts. That was
the DC value that I measured.

73, Price