[Elecraft] Improved KIO3A Immunity to EMP

[VE3GNO Daniel]

Hi Pete, 
 
Look for serial port isolators that are not only on signal wires but also isolating grounds, optically. Tripplite are jokes when comes to real protection, just some MOV's and that's all . I've seen few years ago a switching power supply blowing up the serial port because of bad decoupling inside of it, so I learned my lesson to always spend more on computer PS to avoid expensive damage on my shack caused by crappy design. Is well known the comp PS, laptops or desktops are very very cheap, design is minimal and noise is maximal :-)). Sometimes I wonder how they passed UL on the other hand surprisingly the older PS's are more robust and better engineered. If you look on price/watt no wonder are so crappy, my biggest concern is not the lighning but the computer connection to radios, look how much costs price/watt from Astron and how much is a regular 650W or more PS and you'll see the difference in quality. On my computer now I've placed all kind
 of snappon ferrites inside of computer, AC filters and replaced marginal electrolitics caps and MOV's with better ones and the RF noise is waaay down now. 

73
VE3GNO Daniel


________________________________
From: Pete Smith N4ZR <n4zr at contesting.com>
To: Elecraft List <elecraft at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2012 2:52:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Improved KIO3A Immunity to EMP

I was using a serial port protector made by Tripp-lite when I lost my 
second KIO3A, but the wire connecting my computer to a single-point 
ground had come adrift, and several people commented that this probably 
caused the failure.  On the other hand, I have been using serial-port 
controlled radios for 15 years at this QTH, and never had sucha  failure 
- perhaps the transceiver chips in those radios are just made tougher.

73, Pete N4ZR
The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com
The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com,
spots at telnet.reversebeacon.net, port 7000 and
arcluster.reversebeacon.net, port 7000


On 5/24/2012 10:29 AM, VE3GNO Daniel wrote:
> Hi
> I tried to use serial port isolator with 5 wires to get better 
> lightning protection. I have 5 of these
> http://www.ebay.ca/itm/RS-232-serial-port-photoelectric-isolator-/140677527776?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c108b8e0 
> <http://www.ebay.ca/itm/RS-232-serial-port-photoelectric-isolator-/140677527776?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c108b8e0>
> with 5 wires dc separation. With my FT5K worked fine but for some 
> reason with K3 is not working. I should investigate closer the root 
> cause, maybe levels or maybe something else, that sounds like a plan 
> for the next "electrostatic" season. THe idea to get separation on 
> serial port makes me feel safer when comes to lightning.
>  73
> VE3GNO Daniel
> *From:* Pete Smith N4ZR <n4zr at contesting.com>
> *To:* Elecraft List <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> *Sent:* Thursday, May 24, 2012 9:43:30 AM
> *Subject:* [Elecraft] Improved KIO3A Immunity to EMP
>
> Is this problem on anyone's radar screen at Elecraft?  We're in
> lightning season again, and while I've done everything I can think of, I
> live in fear of another U1 failure.
>
> -- 
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at 
> www.conteststations.com
> The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net 
> <http://reversebeacon.net/>, blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com,
> spots at telnet.reversebeacon.net, port 7000 and
> arcluster.reversebeacon.net, port 7000
>
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