[TowerTalk] Polyphaser failure mode

[Roger (K8RI) on TT]

On 6/26/2014 3:07 PM, Rick Stealey wrote:
> it works by
>> shorting the strike from the center conductor to the shell. But it stays
>> shorted,
> All that's inside a polyphaser is a series capacitor and a gas tube to ground.

Mine are solid state. At least the one I dissected after failure was.

73

Roger (K8RI)

> At least for incidental (whatever they're called) strikes, doesn't the gas tube just conduct for a few microseconds and go back to life as normal?  And able to do this thousands of times?
> If Pete had a larger strike, and the element sustained more damage I'd be very interested in knowing what happened inside the little box to leave it in a shorted or a low resistance mode.
>
> A few years ago I made my own.  A bunch of SO239s on a panel with gas tubes to ground (about $2 each) and a series cap, or 2 or 3 on the 160 meter antenna.  So far so good.
>
> Rick  K2XT
>
>
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