HFU HF Underground

General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: ChrisSmolinski on May 29, 2012, 2324 UTC

Title: This is why you should disconnect your antenna during a storm
Post by: ChrisSmolinski 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.

Title: Re: This is why you should disconnect your antenna during a storm
Post by: cmradio 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!

Title: Re: This is why you should disconnect your antenna during a storm
Post by: John Poet 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.