[BVARC] Lightning Strike Prevention

Thu May 27 09:38:52 CDT 2021

 Now I know what to do with all the free MFJ coffee mugs i got at Dayton 2019!
    On Thursday, May 27, 2021, 04:47:38 AM CDT, JP Pritchard via BVARC <bvarc at bvarc.org> wrote:  

   Great post, Douglas. Glad to see you here.       JP, k5JPP  
  On 05/26/2021 9:46 PM Douglas Kimpel via BVARC <bvarc at bvarc.org> wrote:            05/20/2013 
See website for details on how to get QSLs and Certificates.

May 20-May 26, 2300Z-2200Z, W9IMS, Indianapolis, IN. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club. 21.350 14.245 7.240 3.840. Certificate & QSL. IMS ARC, PO Box 30954, Indianapolis, IN 46230. w9ims.org

Douglas Kimpel

Chief Engineer 

KKHT, KNTH

Houston, Texas

713-206-2146 Cell

713-260-6129 Office
           From: BVARC <bvarc-bounces at bvarc.org> on behalf of Douglas Kimpel via BVARC <bvarc at bvarc.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 9:18 PM
To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <bvarc at bvarc.org>
Cc: Douglas Kimpel <dkimpel at salemradiohouston.com>
Subject: Re: [BVARC] Lightning Strike Prevention        Hey All,        I'm new to the club!  Lightening report from a long time ago!       I was able to make a good 80/160-meter dipole with the help of my former father-in-law WF5W (Silent Key) back in 2001. We were able to put the antenna 60 feet into the trees and it was fantastic!  Had a storm come in while I was doing some early weekend chores.   The power shut down briefly and at the same time I heard the thunderclap!        Lightning struck the east pine tree of the antenna span! The Lightening did a good job of removing the tree's bark it then jumped over the nylon rope and destroyed the ceramic insulator, vaporized 3 feet of the antenna copper, and destroyed the home-made coil ( I think I have the burned coil still, Looking).        The main strike was on the Pine tree, but a feeder strike found my phone line and house ground at the same time.        Lost the following!         One great antenna and its mounting point!    All land line phones and an answering machine!    One brand knew refrigerator!        MY Ten Tec Omni D survived as I had disconnected the feed line just before the storm and place the cable in a ceramic coffee cup.  The PL259 did not survive the strike at the ceramic coffee cup end and at the ballast!                               
Douglas Kimpel

Chief Engineer 

KKHT, KNTH

Houston, Texas

713-206-2146 Cell

713-260-6129 Office
           From: BVARC <bvarc-bounces at bvarc.org> on behalf of Ron Bosch via BVARC <bvarc at bvarc.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 7:46 PM
To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <bvarc at bvarc.org>
Cc: Ron Bosch <boschfamily at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [BVARC] Lightning Strike Prevention         Keith,   Did you also lose your TV's and other electronics?  Did you lose any transceivers not connected to your mains?  The fact is that a lightning strike on or very near your house is going to impress current on any antenna system, or analogue thereof, in the near field, and the amount of energy carried by that antenna system is directly proportional to wire length to that antenna or antenna analogue.  The largest antenna analogue in our houses is the wiring system of the house itself, and a residential ground, while being a good short path, is not usually very efficient compared to the ground system of a commercial building or a broadcast tower.  That being said, the odds of taking such a hit are small by ground area and reduced exponentially by the relative heights of the surroundings.  The object lesson being that if you have the highest thing in large square footage connected electrically to your equipment, you are increasing your odds of a strike significantly.  Unfortunately, the best thing for getting a great signal on radio is the worst thing to do for protecting yourself from lightning strikes, which makes perfect sense if you realize that we are in the hobby of taking a small powered sine wave electrical signal from the atmosphere and responding to it using a slightly higher powered electrical sine wave :-)  The folks of us that do that most efficiently are the most likely to be the victims of the fact that the system is, by definition, very good at attracting a tens billion times higher potential static DC capacitive discharge.       Ron   KE4DRF   
   On Wed, May 26, 2021 at 7:16 PM Keith Dutson via BVARC < bvarc at bvarc.org> wrote:  
        Some useful info in this post, but shows lack of facts.  For example, it is well known and documented that lightning can strike from cloud to ground and vice versa.       My station has been damaged by lightning several times.  The worst damage was in May, 2019, when a large bolt struck my 150 foot tower.  This was witnessed by my daughter and her husband who were outside at the time.  The station furniture in the shack was being moved at that time and there were no antennas connected.  However, all units were plugged into power and connected to computers.  ALL computers and transceivers were destroyed, and the linear amplifiers were damaged in the power supply section.  There were several signs of lightning flashover at signal and power connections.  I was standing in the shack at the time of the strike, and there was no sound, but it felt like the time in military basic combat training where I felt the concussion of dynamite blasts.       Now I have relay controlled disconnect of power and antennas for all stations.  The disconnect grounds antennas and rigs.       I did collect insurance.  The claim was for about $25,000, and I got about $22,000 after deductible.       73, Keith NM5G          On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, 09:40:06 AM CDT, Will Gray via BVARC < bvarc at bvarc.org> wrote:             There are lots of books on the subject and plenty of examples visible around major electrical installations of how to prevent damage by lightning.  Lightning occurs when there is a large charge difference present, normally caused by rain carrying electrons from clouds to ground.  If there is no path to deplete the charge and when the charge is great enough, the electrons go back to the more positively charged area of the clouds above.  The strike is from ground to cloud.  The use of several ground rods tied together and connected to power grounds, water pipes, gas pipes, and the antenna system tends to deplete the charge to the earth, preventing the strike.  Unplug, disconnect and ground your equipment.  During an electrical storm stay away from doors, windows and chimneys.  Get in your vehicle and close the doors.      Safety!   Will Gray, KB7QL 
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