Today I acquired...........

[DAPPH]

that's a good buy. i've got one but in very much poorer state than that. used it once

I know a small su/on who has one for £220



( Psst!

daedalusminos​

I'm plugging it in return for your help a few min ago .

PS.
Happy to split the profit if you think it's too much ...... if he buys it

 

[My Old Landy]

I got this a couple of days ago but life got in the way lol. It is a lightening detector for the radio. Apparently if it detects a lightening surge it glows blue

 

[GRW]

Put a bid on Evilbay and secured this kit - still packaged and unused .

I also treated myself to a Keter Connect Rolling Storage System.... but someone in Picking & Shipping can't tell the difference between a Rolling Storage System & a Cantilever ToolBox

 

[awemawson]

I got this a couple of days ago but life got in the way lol. It is a lightening detector for the radio. Apparently if it detects a lightening surge it glows blue
View attachment 381592

But that's a double beam tetrode transmitting valve - the quick heating cathode version of the QQV03-20A used in the Pye Westminster TX/RX sets used by the police and other services back in the 1960's.

 

[My Old Landy]

But that's a double beam tetrode transmitting valve - the quick heating cathode version of the QQV03-20A used in the Pye Westminster TX/RX sets used by the police and other services back in the 1960's.

I think it is a gimick, the blue comes from a couple of LEDs. You just wire it up as a display light. It is sold as a lightening detector but I seriously doubt it works as one!

 

[Robotstar5]

I got this a couple of days ago but life got in the way lol. It is a lightening detector for the radio. Apparently if it detects a lightening surge it glows blue
View attachment 381592

I used to unplug all my antennas if there was a chance of lightning.

 

[My Old Landy]

I used to unplug all my antennas if there was a chance of lightning.

Are those switches with ceramic rotators and a lightening arrestor any good or just a £200 gimmick? I have refrained from getting one as they are pricey and I am sceptical

 

[Onoff]

Do I recall there used to be inline lightning "fuses" for want of a better word, that you put in the co-ax feed?

 

[AKN]

Are those switches with ceramic rotators and a lightening arrestor any good or just a £200 gimmick? I have refrained from getting one as they are pricey and I am sceptical

Just a gimmick! To be effective lightning protection needs a system approach, all the gas discharge / spark gap “protectors” have a certain amount of let through energy. The antenna input to the tx/rx needs to be protected to above this level. This also applies to solid stare transient protection such as MOVs and Transorbs. The only sure way is to disconnect the aerials when not in use.

 

[My Old Landy]

Just a gimmick! To be effective lightning protection needs a system approach, all the gas discharge / spark gap “protectors” have a certain amount of let through energy. The antenna input to the tx/rx needs to be protected to above this level. This also applies to solid stare transient protection such as MOVs and Transorbs. The only sure way is to disconnect the aerials when not in use.

I thought so, cheers I will have to design a quick disconnect as I find it difficult to undo the PL259 connectors.

 

[awemawson]

When I was a youngster we had a 'knife switch' screwed to the windowcill in the living room to open up in times of storms to protect the aerial for the radio - I suppose that must have been the early 1950's.

 

[Robotstar5]

I thought so, cheers I will have to design a quick disconnect as I find it difficult to undo the PL259 connectors.

 

[DAPPH]

I thought so, cheers I will have to design a quick disconnect as I find it difficult to undo the PL259 connectors.

When FIL Eric was a young apprentice back in the 1930 at the Bowater paper factory in Pegs bay their quick disconnect was a razor sharp fireman's axe .
For the first six months of his apprenticeship it was his job to stand 8 foot back from the electrician and if he noticed the sparky making sparks he had to chop the inch thick cable through in one hit .
He did it twice in his first 6 months of his apprenticeship .
Not long after that they got a tester meter and it was Eric's job to test cables to earth to make sure they were " DAID " before anyone worked on the equipment .

 

[25.4_mechanic]

PL259 connectors.

Lightning and electrostatic discharge still need to be solved, but my answer to "PL" is:

Go "N" -> better handling, easier to attach cables, lower losses, better shielding ...

Carsten

--

 

[25.4_mechanic]

Are those switches with ceramic rotators and a lightening arrestor any good or just a £200 gimmick? I have refrained from getting one as they are pricey and I am sceptical

If the charge has reached your house, it has already gone a little too far.

We build HAM towers in such a way that we ground the whole metal frame via a really FAT relay - the path into the ground and the buried radials is the default path (!) - only if we want to match the entire tower as an aerial, we switch the tower to coaxial inner conductor and ground to the shield.

Works great.

Carsten

--

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

A bit of rocking horse poo.
Try getting that if you are not working for the company.

 

[DAPPH]

If the charge has reached your house, it has already gone a little too far.

We build HAM towers in such a way that we ground the whole metal frame via a really FAT relay - the path into the ground and the buried radials is the default path (!) - only if we want to match the entire tower as an aerial, we switch the tower to coaxial inner conductor and ground to the shield.

Works great.

Carsten

--

BT network termination boxes that you plug a lanfd line phone into have simple gas discharge devices in them , we've been hit by lightening twice over the years ,the phones still worked after BT had replaced all the burnt out phone lines . Yet all the equipments connected to the surge protectors & our UPS device got fried along with the four surge protectors and 2 UPS devices .

 

[Farside]

I thought so, cheers I will have to design a quick disconnect as I find it difficult to undo the PL259 connectors.

My quick-disconnects are BNCs. As I'm not running anything above 100W, that's no problem for them.
I have an old video panel that I've refitted with 50ohm BNCs, so just unplug all radios in a few seconds when lightning is around.

 

[25.4_mechanic]

My quick-disconnects are BNCs. As I'm not running anything above 100W, that's no problem for them.
I have an old video panel that I've refitted with 50ohm BNCs, so just unplug all radios in a few seconds when lightning is around.

Well done!

And meanwhile there are also good low loss cables in 5mm, you don't have to rely on RG58 for BNC!

Multiple (mast-)preamps for RX out there?

BTW: Is it possible to work from your island EU-115 on 2m in SSB or CW K, W, N, A, without EME and Meteor Scatter? Thanks.

Carsten

--

 

[Farside]

Well done!

And meanwhile there are also good low loss cables in 5mm, you don't have to rely on RG58 for BNC!

Multiple (mast-)preamps for RX out there?

BTW: Is it possible to work from your island EU-115 on 2m in SSB or CW K, W, N, A, without EME and Meteor Scatter? Thanks.

Carsten

--

I was using RG213, but it's a bit too lumpy for short interconnects.
I've been moving to mini-8 for interconnects. Never used RG58, even though I have a drum of it. I'll find a use for it, as it's one of the good ones.
There are a couple of Rx antennas to go up and they'll have pre-amps, yes.
Nobody has yet spoken X-Atlantic on 2m from Ireland, but they keep trying. Takes a bit more than a beam on a pole.