[TowerTalk] Fwd: Near Field Lightning Damage

[W0MU Mike Fatchett]

In Montana I had a Cushcraft XM240 at about 65 feet.  I did not ground 
the reflector and when storms started to brew you could hear and 
sometimes see the static arcing at the mast to element bracket. You 
could also hear it on the radio using the SteppIR mounted below it.  The 
closer the storms got the faster the clicking or arcing got.

Whenever I heard that noise I knew it was time to look around and get 
off the radio.

Mike W0MU

On 4/20/2015 7:48 AM, Patrick Greenlee wrote:
> David, I had that same tick, tick, tick from my marine band VHF with 
> masthead antenna.  At first I thought it was my knotmeter's log but 
> the tick rate got way too fast for our boat speed.  I went hunting for 
> the sound and it was arcing at the chassis mount UHF connector, I took 
> my chances, unplugged the antenna, put a jumper across the PL-259 and 
> stuck the coax down by the propshaft to offer a safe path for any 
> lightning.  Nothing happened, no damage to the radio, no lightning was 
> evident at all then or for the rest of the day.  Later in port 
> (Catalina Harbor on the west side of the isthmus on Santa Catalina 
> Island) I gingerly checked things out and returned the antenna to the 
> radio which still worked fine.
>
> If two of us had this happen then it is likely not especially rare 
> although you are the only other person to volunteer this experience to 
> my knowledge.
>
> Patrick      NJ5G
>
> On 4/20/2015 6:30 AM, David Robbins wrote:
>> I had to replace the front end protection diodes in a cb once.  I 
>> started hearing this tick-tick-tick sound from the radio, the 
>> receiver went dead, then there was a lightning flash a mile or two 
>> away.  then it started ticking again until the next flash.  I pulled 
>> the antenna line off the radio and it was arcing across inside the 
>> pl-259.  this was out on a high dry plane out west, I don't think the 
>> storm ever got rain to the ground but it sure made an impressive 
>> lightning show.
>>