[TowerTalk] Shack wiring

[HansLG at aol.com]

Hi Jim,
 
I still don't get it (maybe because I am dumb). At my service entrance  is 
a protector that connects has two MOVs, one from each leg to ground.  Ground 
in this case is the same as neutral At the water pump is also a protector  
that has MOVs frm the two legs (the pump is a 240 V pump) and ground. In the 
 shack I have a protector that connects MOVs from neutral AND the hot 120 V 
leg  to ground. It also incorporate a protecting circuits for my phone, it 
has two  gas discharge tubes between the line and ground.
 
Should I disconnect al MOVs that are connected to ground ??? As I wrote to  
you earlier, my house has had two registered lightning hits (and possible a 
 couple of more we don't know about) and everything survived.
 
Can anyone describe the failure mode that makes the MOV from the hot leg to 
 ground bad?
 
Hans - N2JFS
 
 
In a message dated 3/19/2010 1:33:50 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
jim at audiosystemsgroup.com writes:

Hi  Dick,

I don't know "the Soft-Start kit" or it's application, so I can't  comment 
beyond 
what I've said here. But MANY products are designed with  serious 
engineering 
mistakes. The "pin 1 problem" is a glaring and very  common example -- it 
causes 
hum, buzz, and RFI. Putting an MOV between  line and safety ground is 
another one 
-- it can blow up equipment! The  only safe place for an MOV (or other 
shunt-mode 
protector) in the power  system is at the main service entrance where power 
comes 
into the building  from the street. This is the so-called "whole house" 
protector, 
and it's a  very good idea if done well.  

73,

Jim K9YC

On Fri,  19 Mar 2010 17:22:37 +0000, RICHARD SOLOMON wrote:


>Are you  saying we should not use the ones that come with the Soft-Start 
kit  ??

>73, Dick, W1KSZ

>> From:  jim at audiosystemsgroup.com
>> To: towertalk at contesting.com
>>  Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:50:45 -0700
>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk]  Shack wiring
>> 
>> On Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:34:10 -0400,  hanslg at aol.com wrote:
>> 
>> >A good surge protector has  three MOVs, one from each leg and one 
between 
>> >the  legs.
>> 
>> WRONG! An MOV from Phase (hot) to Ground (Green  Wire) is more likely to 
BLOW 
>> UP equipment than protect it. To  understand this, see my earlier post 
on 
>> this. 
>>  
>> 73,
>> 
>> Jim K9YC