[ADXA] Antennas & lightning

Sun Jul 13 15:30:15 EDT 2025

My opinion on this issue is that it is just a matter of luck & how your QTH
is situated.  It seems to me that stations that are more isolated on a hill
have more problems than others.

  I always try to remember to disconnect & have tried over the years to
build in a “double safety factor”.   Besides disconnecting, all my outside
coax & control cables run through arrestors.  I have cinch type plugs
behind every controller for easy disconnect.

  However:  The comments about disconnecting your equipment ground/bonding
conductors is something new & disturbing.  I may have to reconsider this
aspect.

  Also:  I was going to say that I have been very fortunate over the years
with this issue until last month at the BVRC Field Day.  K5GO & I had just
put up dipoles for the CW station & were just checking them out.  There
were storms moving in, but we thought we were OK.  K5GO got a good jolt
when he was screwing in the PL259 connector to the analyzer.  He “survived
“ with a laugh about it, but my Rig Expert did not.
Chuck

On Sun, Jul 13, 2025 at 2:05 PM Dennis Schaefer <dennisw5rz at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I’m certainly not an expert on this, but I’ve arrived at a method that
> suits me.
>
> When storms threaten or I’m going to be gone a long time, I unhook all
> antennas and unplug from AC power.  I have two remote antenna switches, and
> all are grounded at the tower when not in use.  In the shack, I have a
> switch that sends RF to either of the remote switches or other antennas.  I
> unscrew the connector from that switch, and then everything is grounded at
> the tower and disconnected in the house.
>
> My computer to router connection is wireless.  I don’t disconnect any USB
> ports, etc.  Rotator lines are the weak point, with no protection or
> disconnection.
>
> Everything except AC enters the shack at a common bulkhead.  This aluminum
> plate is well grounded, with several ground rods under it.  The tower is
> reasonably well grounded, with several ground rods at the base, and a ring
> system around the building it is mounted to.  The entry panel to the shack
> is bonded to the tower ground and the AC entry ground.  All rotator cables,
> control cables, and feedlines run underground from the tower to the shack.
>
> This is definitely not up to Motorola standards, but I have never had a
> problem except possibly one blown USB port years ago.
>
> Everyone has an opinion on this and there is some legitimacy to a lot of
> it.  W8JI says he doesn’t disconnect anything and has no Polyphasers.  He
> does have a honkin’ good ground system, though.  The local Motorola dealer
> was a friend, and he said two things kept him from having problems - a good
> ground system, and tying a knot in all line cords.  He said he had seen
> multiple instances of the line cord being blown apart at the knot with no
> further damage.  He was in the 2-way business for decades with lots of
> money on the line, so who am I to argue with him?  (No, I don’t tie knots
> in line cords, but maybe I should)
>
> 73,
> Dennis/RZ
>
> On Sun, Jul 13, 2025 at 9:58 AM Jussi Eloranta <eloranta at aa6kj.hopto.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> The weather has been pretty rough at least here in the NE corner.
>> Lightning on and off on almost all days. I have been running back and forth
>> between the house and the shack disconnecting and reconnecting antennas &
>> power. The weather forecasts have been pretty useless with these storms.
>> They appear quickly and are gone quickly.
>>
>> My question is as follows. With proper grounding and polyphasers on
>> coaxes (+ surge protectors on power), do you guys disconnect antennas &
>> power during storms? In CA lightning is rather rare and this was not an
>> issue over there. I feel that here I have the radios disconnected most of
>> the time! And my K4 died mysteriously during a recent storm with only the
>> ground connected. It is possible that lightning can get in through the
>> ground too... Fortunately Elecraft was pretty quick to fix it.
>>
>> Jussi (aa6kj)
>>
>> PS. I am headed to Finland to attend the annual SRAL summer meeting.
>> Hopefully the weather is calmer there... Great to see some old friends over
>> there.
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