[TowerTalk] from towers to shack

[Jim Lux]

On 12/9/13 8:08 PM, Roger (K8RI) on TT wrote:
> On 12/9/2013 10:35 PM, john at kk9a.com wrote:
>> I wonder why transorbs and gas discharge tubes are not commonly used to
>> protect control lines in ham radio installations?  The $135 Polyphaser
>> IS-RCT just has eight inexpensive MOVs inside.  I used GDTs on one
>> rotator
>> where I got tired of replacing leaky MOVs and it has worked fine for
>> over a
>> year and though one direct lightning strike.
>
> Gas discharge tubes have too high a breakover voltage to protect most
> solid state devices.
> They are fine for most rotator controls.
>
>


Yeah, but bidirectional solid state TVSS devices are available at 
voltages down to about 5V, and they're pretty much the same price.