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The place to talk about specific radios, equipment and accessories. Do you prefer the latest generation of rigs and antennas or do you like the classics? Discuss it here!
Tim wrote: ↑24 Aug 2020, 08:26
It's a total waste of time grounding an antenna as lightning takes the least line of resistance and a grounding wire does exactly that and as so will attract lightning, if there is no line of resistance the chances are that the lightning will not strike the antenna, all you need to do is disconnect the coax from your radio and move it at least 6 feet away. It's the same with telephone lines, lightning will strike the line and travel through it, melt your WiFi router and exit through your mains electricity cables, why?, because it's all grounded, so again, disconnect your phone line and unplug your router in the event of a thunderstorm, and if you still use a TV antenna disconnect that and unplug the TV as well.
That's like wearing a belt and braces, stapling your pants to your hips AND then hiring someone to hold them up for you aswell....
Its sound advise though, all practical ways to minimise risk if you really do fear being struck....
26TM175. OP: Craig. QTH: Gateshead IO94EW. Also 163TM175 when mobile in Wales
When you're as high above sea level and as exposed as I am in my location, when you hear thunder and can see lightning you disconnect everything conductive and electrical, even remove 13A plugs from sockets and place as far away as you can. Most local thunder storms travel through the valleys all around us but we get the occasional one that will come right overhead and when they do, boy do you know it!, when the bang goes off at the same time as the lightning flashes you know it's right on top of you, it can be pretty scary. Rule of thumb, after a rumble of thunder, count the seconds between that and the lightning, the storm is one mile away for every second that elapses.
Tim wrote: ↑24 Aug 2020, 23:12
When you're as high above sea level and as exposed as I am in my location, when you hear thunder and can see lightning you disconnect everything conductive and electrical, even remove 13A plugs from sockets and place as far away as you can. Most local thunder storms travel through the valleys all around us but we get the occasional one that will come right overhead and when they do, boy do you know it!, when the bang goes off at the same time as the lightning flashes you know it's right on top of you, it can be pretty scary. Rule of thumb, after a rumble of thunder, count the seconds between that and the lightning, the storm is one mile away for every second that elapses.
150m ASL here, which is pretty high locally, so I understand the worry. Disconnect, duck and cover
26TM175. OP: Craig. QTH: Gateshead IO94EW. Also 163TM175 when mobile in Wales
Tim wrote: ↑24 Aug 2020, 23:12
When you're as high above sea level and as exposed as I am in my location, when you hear thunder and can see lightning you disconnect everything conductive and electrical, even remove 13A plugs from sockets and place as far away as you can. Most local thunder storms travel through the valleys all around us but we get the occasional one that will come right overhead and when they do, boy do you know it!, when the bang goes off at the same time as the lightning flashes you know it's right on top of you, it can be pretty scary. Rule of thumb, after a rumble of thunder, count the seconds between that and the lightning, the storm is one mile away for every second that elapses.
Its actually 5 miles away for every second counted between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder. ie if you divide the time taken between the flash of lightning and hearing the thunder by 5 you will get the distance away in miles and if you divide by 3 you will get the distance in kilometres.
650m ASL here. And we get awesome storms throughout the summer being at the edge of the Alps. They are even fiercer about 40km south of us.
I usually unplug most everything electrical I treasure when it storms.
On home level you dont install lightning protection to save your radio gear, you install it to prevent your house burning down like a christmas tree or people getting electrocuted, if your radio also survives is a plus but nothing more.
If you want to save your gear it will cost you thousands and more and even than it is not guaranteed.
I live in the Netherlands so its easy as i live on old seabed(wet sand and soil), a 10-15meter koper pipe in the ground and connect it to antenna and mast with 40 mm2 koper wire or pipe and if you want to make it fancy a lightning arrestor inbetween also connected to ground pipe, the arrestor may save your radio but that is up to the strength of the strike, if it is a full strike, so pre ignite,main burst and after flow your house will not burn down but there is little chance for equipment.
Knowing my luck, I'd be in the loftshack when it got hit and it'd be like the scene from the film "Highlander" where he finally chops of The Kurgan's head!
