[Premium-Rx] Neon Bulbs Lightning

[Bill Levy]

I remember well larger Neon bulbs on ships. When I was a kid, around the time of my novice license, I took a cruise with my folks on the SS Santa Rosa and spent most of my time in the radio room. The RX was a Hammuralnd SP600 and the transmitter was a TMC giant thing with auto tune. The Antenna cables were copper pipe going thru the bulk head and the Sparks had put giant Neon bulbs on the pipes. When he keyed they glowed. It was a glorius and wonderful thing. So was the SP600 in those days dialing down to 1kc and my little hallicrafters couldn't come close.

I have been blessed with two radio shacks and lightning at both. My towers are grounded with a number of rods in the ground at various circumfrances and all the rods are tied together. Hy Gain sparkgap arrestors on coax. In 43 years of operating I have had many close lightning strikes. I often hear the spark gaps sparking. I sign off and disconnect. Trees nearby blow up. In all that time I have blown two bypass caps on a Collins 30L-1 Amp once, I have had 4 Televisions give up the ghost, 6 cordless telephones and various answering machines, a handful of solid state hifi gear burn out. 

My experience is that the lightning comes up the power lines and telephone lines and not down the antennas and feedlines. My modus operandi is to disconnect power and antennas from my Premium RX, Ham station when not in use. Any radio I leave online is expendable. 

I understand you guys who are smarter than me my may disagree but we simple fellows have simple solutions. 
All the lightening protection in the world will not protect anything from a direct hit. The perfect storm sinks all ships. We are all born with a death sentence.

Unplug it. 

73, Bill N2WL





William G. Levy
Capital Counsel LLC
350 Park Avenue, 11th floor
New York, NY 10022
Phone 212.350.4483
Fax: 212.202.5041
Cell: 914.645.4771
wglevy at capcounsel.com
wglevy at att.net
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