[Towertalk] More on Lightning protection

Wed, 15 May 2002 13:38:29 +1000

Hello Tom,
Well, Would You believe the insurance assessor just rang to see how I was
going with the antenna erection.....
I have something like 3 years to report any thing else I might find was
damaged in the strike.....I don't think I was given a Finish Date for this
claim as He probably thought everything would be done with plenty of time to
spare........
I also waited for electricians......firstly My Sons Mate, who He does work
for, after many months....He couldn't do the report as He works for a Power
Company.....then another one....My Wife's friend, Her Husband, again after
months, found out He couldn't write a report as He was a licensed Electrical
contractor.......but another licensed Electrical contractor in the next
street said for Me to write out a report & He would sign it.....as He did it
for farmers with electric motors that have been under water...all the
time....then...after I emailed..or .rang many companies to get quotes....I
only ended up with two suppliers of each item.  The assessor was very good.
My 4 position Antenna switch which has burn marks on the back of it...are NO
longer available in VK..only 2 position are Now available...so He told Me to
get Two of them..... I also replaced all My RG213 with Belden 9913 cable and
all My PL259s with N connectors...The Only New Rotators I could find were
Create RC5A-1 &  RC5A-3  -- I ended up with the RC5A-1 which is much larger
than the KR400 Kenpro it replaced......The New HF Antenna which I purchased
from a VK manufacturer is a little flimsy in the elements. My original HF
Antenna was made by the same company..but different owner...and the boom is
much larger than than the original and inside of the boom is reinforced
anywhere where bolts are attached with a Solid Black type of plastic or
PVC...but the elements are a bit droopy.... .maybe its only because I have
the antenna sitting about 3 ft off the ground......Now when I look
around....everyone else's HF antennas are MUCH more expensive.....then again
I don't want to go thru all this again , for a new antenna.......maybe when
I was 30 it may have been OK but at 53......with a breakdown 5 years
ago......all this insurance work has been terrible on My mental
health....but hopefully its all behind Me....and I'll be able to work DX or
whatever all day....as I don't work any more......
73
Lee Noonan VK2LEE
http://www.qsl.net/vk2lee/

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Anderson" <ww5l@gte.net>
To: "Lee Noonan" <vk2lee@maxnet.net.au>
Cc: "Mark" <AA6DX@arrl.net>; <Barockteer@aol.com>; "Jack" <K4WSB@arrl.net>;
<towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 12:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Towertalk] More on Lightning protection

> LEE ET. AL.:
>
> Another thing to watch with lightning claims is the length of time your
policy
> allows for processing claims.   My claim rep. said he wanted a statement
from
> the licensed electrician who came out and inspected the house, wiring,
etc. so I
> asked, and asked and asked the electrician for one and ended up waiting
just
> over a year to get everything in.  Well, I waited a few days too long
waiting
> for the electrician to send me a statement, apparently buried in all the
> whereases and wherefores was a provision that (even though I had 100
percent
> full cost replacement coverage) was a proviso the claims people never
mentioned
> that after 1 year the insurance company (State Farm) could (and does)
discount
> the amount of your claim.  They discounted mine by about 1/3, even though
I kept
> arguing I was waiting on the statement they had requested from the
electrician.
> I even knew the electrician, who didn't by the way charge me for the
inspection,
> as I was his son's Eagle Scout advisor.
>
> The phone company also had to replace the terminal block where the outside
> wiring enters the house because it had been carboned by the strike.  I
replaced
> the coax and rotor cable and found hundreds of small holes every few
inches in
> the coax.  The strike also did a number on the rotor's insides, but Norm's
Rotor
> Service handled that fine.  I argued with the insurance company about
saving
> them money having it repaired for less than half of what a new one would
cost,
> but they also "discounted" the repairs  because I waited a little too
long.
>
> Also helpful if you see or smell anything like smoke call your local fire
> department.  Even though it may be embarrassing to have three or four
trucks
> with flashing lights out front of your house and firefighters running
around
> inside (just watch those axes) and all the neighbors gawking for what
might be a
> fried radio or computer, I found out later (too late) that a copy of a
report
> from the FD would have worked instead of the electrician's statement.  The
only
> smoke I had was from the DX packet computer and 2 meter ICOM radio  the
> lightning strike fried, but it filled the shack with enough smoke I had to
open
> all the doors and vent the smoke out.
>
> The AEA Isopole 2 meter antenna and tribander were unhurt by the strike.
>
> Tom, WW5L
>
>
>
>
>
> Lee Noonan wrote:
>
> > Well, I have just had all My antennas replaced.....all cables....New
> > rotator.....New Computer.....paid for by the insurance company.......The
> > assessor said My claim with many photos and explanations etc..and Quotes
for
> > new equipment....which totalled 15 pages ..... was unusual....most
claims
> > totalled 1 or 2 pages with NO photos..... So I had no problems from Him.
I
> > just had to show or explain everything ......what is a rotator?   what
is an
> > antenna switch? etc....
> > They are also paying for a cherry picker to take down the old antennas
and
> > erect the new ones.....
> > They Don't pay for the assembly.&.tuning of the antennas, or the fitting
of
> > the N connectors etc...ie...No labour.....
> > and don't pay for Lightning or surge protection devices.......!!!!!
> > If I had only known about Lightning Grounding .... single point
> > etc.....before I erected My tower 10 years ago...
> > before the concrete and the pavers.........covered the ground.......
> > 73
> > Lee Noonan VK2LEE
> > http://www.qsl.net/vk2lee/
> > http://www.qrz.com/vk2lee/
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Mark" <AA6DX@pacbell.net>
> > To: <Barockteer@aol.com>; "Jack" <K4WSB@arrl.net>;
> > <towertalk@contesting.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 8:20 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Towertalk] More on Lightning protection
> >
> > > Best yet ... see that your insurance policy covers lightning strike
> > damage,
> > > and have all info on hand ... pix, specs, prices, paperwork as
applicable
> > ..
> > > receipts, etc....... bon chance!  Mark .. AA6DX
> >
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