[TowerTalk] rain/snow noise

[WBH3@chrysler.com]

I have from time to time experienced hearing noise in my receivers caused
by rain hitting the antenna.  I believe this is called "shot" noise.  A
friend of mine, N1GIQ, has mentioned to me that  I should really try to
protect the front ends of a couple of my Collins 75S-3 receivers and also
my Icom 765 from this noise and ESPECIALLY from what he calls "snow"
static/noise.   Now  I have done some checking  and I cannot find any
printed material which  alludes to this snow static.  Apparently, it can
build up quite a charge and if it would wipe out the front end on a
tube-type receiver I can imagine what it does to a transistorized receiver.
     I guess that I have just been lucky these 47 years that I've been a
ham and haven't been nailed by "snow" static.  Has anyone else come across
this phenomenon and should I really be worried.  Would a lightning arrestor
provide protection against this? I don't think so.   I've always thought
that back to back diodes across the antenna terminals was a pretty good
precaution, but don't know how to do this with a transciever.  Your
comments would be welcome.

Regards,
Bill Haselmire  WX8S
Highland  MI
wbh3@chrysler.com



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