Disconnecting the cables helps, but it is not enough to protect your
electronics from a direct hit and it is impossible to do with a remote
station. Lightning energy from a strike will be induced into your house
wiring even with the cables disconnected. Lots of ground rods, a single
point ground and whole house surge protector is a good start for
protection.
John KK9A
To: K5WA <K5WA@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Remote station antenna disconnection methods?
From: Charles Harpole <hs0zcw@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2015 07:10:42 +0700
I have extensive practical experience with lightning and also collect first
person reports. I know for sure one inch is not enough to foil nearby
strikes' energy. I have seen two to three inch discharging spark from one
coax to another in my patch panel, and the lightning was count of two to
five away (counting between flash and thunder to estimate distance).
I totally reject lightning arrestors as ineffective in the ham setting.
Personally, I remove all coax and control lines from a window patch panel
and lay the wires that go to my equipment three to six FEET from the
panel. Before reconnecting at that panel, I touch the shield side of each
coax socket to the center; I once got a spark discharge.
Of course, a direct hit can ruin outdoor antennas, but in my case of three
direct hits, damaging lightning energy did not get to my radios.
Good luck, 73, Charly
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