[TowerTalk] Foolproof Lightning Protection

[Dennis Schaefer]

At 12:19 AM 4/12/97 -0400, Roger L. Elowitz wrote:
>Hi gang,
>

>So, like a bolt out of the blue.... it came to me!  If you are really
>looking for cheap lightning protection insurance.... simply place your
>equipment in the styrofoam packing and cardboard boxes it came in.  You
>know... the boxes you keep in the attic and never ever use for anything.
>I'll bet any amout of money there isn't a single recorded insurance claim
>for lightning damage on equipment that was sitting in its factory carton!

Roger,
Hate to burst your bubble, but I know a fellow who swears this happened.
He had an Icom 745 which was working.  This was a spare rig  so he put the
rig in its factory box and put it under his bed.  Lightning hit very near
his house.  I think it demolished a pole transformer in his yard.  He got
the rig out, and it didn't work.  There were several IC's blown.  He swears
it was from the tremendous EMP from the near strike.  Of course, it would
take a whole crew of engineers and lawyers to determine the truth, and I
don't want to go near that!

I guess most of us have been incredibly lucky with lightning.  I ground my
antennas and  unplug the power plugs when lightning is near.  One day I
heard a loud "pop" from the shack and smelled burning equipment.  My 2M rig
had taken a hit, but everything was unplugged.  Examination showed that I
had done something really stupid.  I used the "extra 2 wires from my phone
line to add a remote speaker in another room.  This was never disconnected.
 The phone line went up into the attic for about 60 feet before it even
connected to another phone.  A great antenna!  The voltage induced into the
phone line blew out the audio circuit in the rig.
 
73,
Dennis, W5RZ


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