I also got hit and the lightning blew a large hole through half the rotator
cable and left a charred spot on the tower leg. It also took out the reed
switch in my Orion rotator. Fortunately I had all my cables disconnected
from my interface box that is located out side my home. I use to use the
rotator box made by PolyPhaser but in less than two years all the
connections on the outside of the box rusted away. I believe disconnection
is the best way.
73 Pete N4KW
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pete Smith" <n4zr@contesting.com>
To: "Bill Turner" <dezrat@copper.net>; <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2006 12:59 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Lightning protection for rotator cable
>I took a hit on the 40m yagi on top of my tower, and lost everything that
>was inside OR on the tower - two rotators, an antenna switch, and a
>stackmatch. Fortunately, the cable was unplugged at my entry bulkhead, but
>IMO you are not necessarily protected by the rotators being inside the
>tower.
>
> 73, Pete N4ZR
>
> At 12:47 PM 11/26/2006, Bill Turner wrote:
>>I've read the PolyPhaser document on protection for ham stations but
>>it is vague on how to protect rotator cables. First, I wonder how much
>>protection, if any, is needed in the first place? In my tower, the
>>rotator is inside the tower and the control lines run down inside the
>>tower as well. Coming out from the tower at the bottom, they run
>>underground to the shack, about 70 feet away. It seems to me that
>>neither the rotator nor the lines will ever take a direct hit, but
>>they could have some energy induced from the tower itself.
>>
>>So I'm wondering if I should bother with protection for the
>>cable/rotator? My tower has taken two direct hits in the last two
>>years and some damage has resulted, but not to the rotator system. I
>>am in the process of upgrading the grounding for the tower and coax
>>and that's what brought me to considering the rotator.
>>
>>All comments welcome.
>>
>>Bill, W6WRT
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>>
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>
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