[TowerTalk] spark gaps & GDT's for lightning/static

[Rob Atkinson]

>Clamping the output of a 50kW transmitter to 2kV with a spark gap isn't going to be an issue, and a lightning stroke that results in 2kV on the transmitter output is something the transmitter can probably handle.

CE once told me tube rigs cut plate v. in half to try to quench the
arc.  s.s. rigs rapidly step down cxr power until low Z ball gap arc
gets quenched.  arc is vswr event.  cxr muting very brief with new
rigs.  once the strike is grounded across the ball gap you have RF
feeding the arc and in the old days the tube rigs would truck on and
had to be manually B+ killed.  balls of fire on the open wire line.


Rob
K5UJ