[MRCA] Antenna "protection?"

[W2HX]

Ok, first - I know this is a fraught topic. Big topic. Volumes have been written. I have a basic question.  Today at a hamfest, I picked up this little terminal block (see picture below). It is basically a spark gap terminal block. As you can see the studs on the bottom are intended to be bolted to a grounded block.  Then the terminals have a gap between a fixed washer and a finger that connects to the grounded block.  The model is Marconi 1648P and the manual says the following:

"provide protection in a range of 5,000 volts DC and approximately 10KV or less on a surge front of 5KV/msec."

My intention is to use between a vertical antenna I am planning and the antenna coupler that will be sitting at the base of this antenna.  What I started to think about is whether this might be of any use in protecting the antenna coupler and anything else down stream from it.  I was also thinking that if the antenna produces 5000V during normal use (perhaps depending on how the impedance works out for a given working frequency), this could actually hamper its performance.

If it would help, I guess I could tie more than one of these terminals together before going to the antenna to give more gap area.  Now, I know that a direct lightning hit will simply melt everything. But would this terminal block add any beneficial protection for other kinds of atmospheric activity? The whole thing cost a few bucks so I don't mind throwing it out if it has no value. Thanks!

[cid:image001.png at 01CF776C.BFAEF000]

A link to the datasheet
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emersonnetworkpower.com%2Fdocumentation%2Fen-us%2Fproducts%2Foutsideplant%2Fensys_terminalblocks%2Fdocuments%2Fospds-061900_3-6-pair-blocks.pdf&ei=G_2AU-zeB-jjsASt0IHgDA&usg=AFQjCNE9KIIGnMdho1mx8WVMjmPDB36vzg&bvm=bv.67720277,d.cWc&cad=rja


73 Eugene W2HX

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