[TowerTalk] Lightning Arrestors

[Phil Camera]

I would like to get some real world knowledge about the use of gas tube 
> lightening protectors.  


First, it's lightning, not lightening (that's bleach).


Some of the names out here are Polyphaser, Alpha 
> Delta and DX engineering.  


And don't forget ICE (Industrial Communication Engineers).



Some of the units are "multistrile" and some have replacable gasFET tubes.


ICE has some technical articles that describe their technology vs. Poly and AD.
Personally I use all ICE devices and never have had a problem.


 I was suprised that some of the units are 
> not weatherized as in the case of the Polyphaser unit flange mounted.


None are, they just need to be weatherproofed (not watertight).  I use Hoffman electrical boxes. 


If you are using a remote antenna switch that feeds the control signal 
or power up the coax, you need to make sure that your chosen protector 
doesn't have a DC open in the thru path or a short to ground.  At W6VIO, 
we have some suppressors not yet installed because they are incompatible 
with the RCS-4 remote switches.

ICE (and I believe Poly) makes arrestors that will pass DC.  You need to tell them your voltage and they'll design the proper unit.
I have some for my mast mounted preamps on my satellite system.



-- 
Phil Camera, KB9CRY

Lockport, IL
http://nidxa.org/memberWWW/kb9cry_home.htm