[ICOM] IC-756 Pro flat ribbon cables

[Roger (K8RI)]

On 1/12/2012 10:32 AM, Phil Krichbaum wrote:
>      I found that for insurance companies to pay off for lightening
> damage, it best be a direct strike and there better be some singe marks
> on the house. If it comes in the power or phone lines, you are out of
> luck!

You need a different insurance company.  I presented my computer and 
rig, they told me to get a quote and although  I did the work myself I 
had a local outfit give the quote which was higher than my estimate, but 
he had labor.  It was a direct strike but by the time it got to the rig 
and computer there were no scorch marks.  Every thing was connected.  If 
I hear a storm coming, by the time I could get every thing disconnected 
the storm would have been past.  I now use patch panels.

When there is multiple damage, I've never heard of a company questioning 
the source, unless there had been multiple claims. Insurance companies 
have long memories.  IIRC I've only had two claims. One for an expensive 
antenna back around the 70's and the claim here for the computer and rig 
repair.  Actually the computer was a complete loss.  They asked me about 
the antenna and again I had to explain that was an antenna and these 
were a computer and radio. Also I had live at 3 different places since 
the antenna claim.  At that point they just asked for the repair quote 
from an established outfit.  Bout a week later I had a check for the 
complete amount including labor.

>        I had my power company install a "meter treater" at my power
> meters which has three big MOV's in it (I also lost the relay on my
> water pump meter). No further problems with spikes coming down the line
> although
With all the grounding the lightning struck the power pole next house 
North. They lost a lot. Just about all their appliances, TV, well, 
phone...and I know I'm missing some things.  Although we have elaborate 
grounding there is nothing on the input to the house except the more or 
less single point ground. Less than 200 feet from the strike to our 
meter and no problems.
>   I loose a router about every other year. Last summer I saw,
> heard and smelled a strike all at the same time that hit the overhead
> line between my house and my neighbor. I'd disconnected the antennas and
> disconnected all AC juice in the shack and no damage to the ham gear. I
> now have a master strip that I unplug. The 756PROII and III rigs are not
> well protected from ESD incidents. I use lightening protection  devices
> that are the constant discharge type, not ones where the spark has to
> jump a gap. I have a big 3 blade knife switch that I'll install in the
> AC line to the shack eventually where one switch kills all the AC, even
> the neutral. I've not had any damage to any antennas save the indicator
> POT on a HAM IV.
I rarely disconnect any antennas, or unplug radios, as they've been so 
difficult to get at.  In the shop it's different with the patch panel. I 
can have the entire station and two computers disconnected "and 
isolated" in less than 5 minutes. It takes longer than that just to get 
at things in here.  The plan is to put a patch panel in the floor under 
the desk with the rigs.  Although all 5 computers are on a hard wired 
CAT6 network and the landline runs with the CAT6 to the shop those can 
only be disconnected at the switch in the basement. Modem, Switch, and 
router are all located in the basement. As the shop has the big station 
with amp it gets priority although the grounding and polyphasers (or 
luck) have kept every thing going.

At this desk I have two full size tower cases with quad core CPUs and a 
UPS.They were hooked into the station running HRD but not at present.  
On the other desk is a Kenwood TM-V7A duobander, Yaesu FT 897D, and an 
Icom 756 Pro with an Astron PS35A PS and a 40A lab switching supply 
that's very quiet.  This is set up (almost) to run SO2R with the station 
in the shop. I do most of my operating late at night from the shop.  Now 
I need to get HRD set up out there and just wear a Wi-Fi headset so I 
can move around the shop while chasing DX. <:-))

My personal opinion is the single point ground is more important for 
station protection than all the other protection methods. I'm not 
calling the other methods unimportant, far from it. When properly 
installed each item adds to stacking the odds more in your favor. I have 
not only the SPG but also poly phasers in the coax lines.

>      73 Phil N0KE
>
> Stephen Budensiek wrote:
>> Hello all,
>>
>>     Had a IC-756 Pro that got spiked in a power problem (sitting turned
>> off, but plugged in)   All the problems seem to be confined to the
>> main board, but I'm experiencing problems with the flat ribbon cables
>> after unplugging them to remove and work on the main board, then
>> plugging  them in again for testing a few times.   Several of the
>> traces on various flat (ribbon) cables have had the traces come part
>> way loose and peal back where they plug into the main board jack, so
>> they don't make contact with the plug.
I've had mine apart a number of times with no problems yet.  It might be 
related to a batch of cables, or possibly age.  If the latter then I can 
probably expect my old 756 Pro (not a II or III) to do the same some 
time in the future.

73

Roger (K8RI)