Knut and Don, I live in Florida, the lightning capital of the planet. I have experienced overhead cloud-to-cloud discharges three times in my life, once in New Jersey, once on Cape Cod, and once here. Both caused damage by inducing voltages in cables connected to computers, printers, microwave ovens, TVs, and radios.
Connecting the 10 wires I need to use my K3 takes less than 5 minutes. I place it one the right side feet for the antennas and key and paddle, normal position for everything else. I have enough slack in the cables to pull the K3 about 12 inches from the back wall. I hear you, but will trust nothing but complete disconnection. I have a complete ground system for the shack. Monty K2DLJ > Knut, > > For those station installations that have adequate lightning protection > implemented, it will not be necessary to disconnect anything except the > antenna. > If one follows the recommendations of Ron Block in his 2002 QST 3 part > articles on lightning protection, everything in the hamshack area > *should* be at the same potential during a surge event. That does mean > providing protection for *all* lines (power, telco, ethernet, antennas, > rotor control lines, etc) coming into the station at a single grounded > entry panel, and bonding the enclosures of all equipment in the shack to > a single common point which is then bonded to that shack entry grounded > panel (which also must be connected to the utility entry ground). Then > I believe you can leave those miscellaneous cables connected and not > experience a failure except that all bets are off for a direct strike. > All bets are off if you choose to do an incomplete job of equipment > protection in the shack too. > > The articles I refer can be downloaded from the ARRL website. Do a site > search on 'lightning protection'. > > 73, > Don W3FPR > > ab2tc wrote: >> Hi, >> >> I am always amused when I see this advice. How many hams are actually >> doing >> this? Upstate NY is maybe not the worst place for thunderstorms, but we >> do >> get plenty. Were I to follow this advice, I would have no option but >> leaving >> the K3 unconnected as a rule and connect up all the wires (at least half >> a >> dozen) each time I use it. Access is difficult with the radio up against >> the >> back wall (mirror image back panel picture will come in very handy next >> time >> I do need to remove the radio from service for whatever reason). I am >> very >> loath to mess with the radio and its wires at all. For that very reason I >> have a second radio for taking places. Knock on wood, so far I have not >> have >> any damage to any radio from thunderstorms. >> >> AB2TC - Knut >> >> > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
