W2UP asked:
> Every time there is a thunderstorm, why don't the commercial stations
> (radio and TV) shut down their xmtrs and unplug their coax?
Most of the commercial installations I've seen, use the following
trick:
1. Ground the towers and antennas VERY well.
2. Leave the equipment floating.
If there is a strike, the theory is that the equipment rises in
voltage with the tower, so that there is no voltage drop. Of course,
it does mean that the equipment may rise to several kV for a moment,
so you don't want to be around if there is a strike.
This way, even direct strikes can be survived. The protection
equipment will probably take the transmitter off the air for a
moment, but it is likely to come back on soon.
Incidentally, I don't recommend the "hearing test" at all. In a
contest, I doubt if I would hear thunder, even if it is reasonably
close. The effect of a headset and extreme concentration just makes
it too probable that I'll miss something!
Chris R. Burger
ZS6EZ
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