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Author Topic: This is why you should disconnect your antenna during a storm  (Read 2447 times)

Offline ChrisSmolinski

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This is why you should disconnect your antenna during a storm
« on: May 29, 2012, 2324 UTC »
An LED (Light Emitting Diode) connected across the coax transmission line from my 635 ft sky loop antenna, during a thunderstorm. You can see the LED flashing with the lightning strikes.

[youtube]4KBTzwhyr3o[/youtube]


This is why you should disconnect your antenna during a storm.
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Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
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Re: This is why you should disconnect your antenna during a storm
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2012, 0940 UTC »
Very cool demonstration!

Funny you post this today... I just bought a bag of little gas discharge tubes from fleabay to put across my radio terminals (RX and TX), considering the storm season approaching.

Peace!
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Offline John Poet

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Re: This is why you should disconnect your antenna during a storm
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2012, 1539 UTC »
From what I've read, a lightning strike as much as a mile away can be enough to off your unprotected radio from the charge it'll put into your antenna.
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