[Elecraft] KIO3B USB Surge Suppressor

[Jim Brown]

On 6/28/2019 9:37 AM, Paul Christensen wrote:
> Looking for input from anyone who has successfully installed a
> surge-suppression device on a USB port.  I am in the process of repairing a
> KIO3B board after a recent thunderstorm.

Paul,

The usual cause of destructive failures like these from lightning is 
interconnection of equipment powered from AC outlets having different 
green wires, or whose green wires are not bonded together, or equipment 
whose chassis are not all bonded together. This situation is made worse 
the use of shunt-mode suppressors on AC branch circuits.

Many years ago, colleagues working in pro audio design experienced 
destructive failures of the ethernet circuitry of networked computers 
from lightning. No antennas involved -- these were engineering offices. 
The solution for these failures was (and is) the use of series-mode 
suppressors on the AC line branch circuits. Surge-X is the manufacturer 
of these products that has concentrated on the pro audio and video 
market. There are (were) two other mfrs I'm aware of -- Brick Wall I 
remember, but not the other.

73, Jim K9YC