Re: Dealing with Lightning

In article <hm4k92l5s2os9shp3qrgrp755gls71767d@xxxxxxx>,
Clark W. Griswold, Jr. <spamtrap100a@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Rôgêr <abuse@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I think you'll find that for every POE device owner, there'll be a
different opinion on this. Some devices claim to have lightning
protection built in (whatever that means) and some have a Phasar
lightning suppressor between the device and the antenna. I've had very
good luck with an access point at a location that seems to be rich in
lightning strikes. With a Phasar lightning suppressor installed and
grounded to a copper rod driven into the ground, I've only had to
replace it once in about three years. At another location that's even
higher up and more open (on a steel tower), I've got the same history.
Had to replace everything once in the last three years.

No lightning protection will protect against a direct strike, or a nearby strike
that's carried over the antenna or power lines. The most you can do is try to
minimize the differences in voltage due to surges or distant strikes (ie the
grounding of the chassis or antenna), and to put up lightning protection (ie
rods) to minimize the air/earth potential in the immediate vicinity...


What he said.

IMO, you should ground the mast to earth, get a UTP lightning
protector and place it as close to the WiFi box as possible and ground
it to the mast.

Bring the UTP cable into the house and right at the entry point use a
cheap Linksys router between the WiFi gear and your real computers.

Each CAT5 UTP jack is isolated to (ISTR) 4,000 volts so between the
lightning protector at the top of the mast and the linksys box you are
protected pretty well and if you get a really direct hit the Linksys
box will take the hit. They're really cheap.

The ARRL Ham Radio Handbook or several other ARRL publications will
discuss antenna grounding. Your library should have a copy.

http://www.rfparts.com/arrl_hb_2005.html


In addition, I'd get a max-length UTP cable (100 meters) , on the
spool, and use it to connect the entrypoint Linksys to the rest of
your network. The resistance, inductance, and capacitance will soak
up a surge that makes it past the Linksys.

The only thing that will protect you from a direct hit is full backups
stored offsite.



--
a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m

Don't blame me. I voted for Gore. A Proud signature since 2001
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Weather Station and Lighting
    ... But to lightning, concrete is conductive. ... Path that includes an electrical connection ... a path from incoming lightning to earth ground ... protection earths transients before they can enter a building. ...
    (uk.sci.weather)
  • Re: Wont strike twice.
    ... typically 25 direct lightning strikes and continue operation ... operating because the antennas are all at "DC" ground potential. ... so we have myths about protection not possible. ...
    (alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt)
  • Re: Lightning Damage
    ... Lightning is not DC where you worry about the resistance but a complex waveform that requires a low inductance and is treated as a R.F. problem. ... Some of the early work on lightning protection came from measuring the rise time on strikes to the Empire State Building with low bandwidth cathode ray tube oscilloscopes. ... In a metal building lightning rods may not offer additional protection as the building itself is the lowest impedance structure. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: surge protection built into ordinary household electronics
    ... Series mode protection is typically part of the protection inside ... necessary earthing is a massive improvement. ... If fault current were so massive, then lightning rods would not ... 25 direct strikes and no damage is reality ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: About lightning etc...
    ... >all the work to set up a station and no lightning protection scheme? ... any surge protection on the ac input? ... And I do no see how I could make 100% lightning protection, ... Those so called mains surge protectors you plug in the wall for the computer ...
    (rec.radio.cb)
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