When do I need to disconnect my radio antenna?
When do I need to disconnect my radio antenna?
But to protect your radio from massive surges, such as nearby lightning strikes, they won’t do the job. When thunderstorms are anywhere in the general area, disconnect your antenna.
Do you need to switch antenna during thunderstorms?
If it is to deflect static charges to ground when the radio is not in use, and to be able to switch antennas, they are neat. But to protect your radio from massive surges, such as nearby lightning strikes, they won’t do the job. When thunderstorms are anywhere in the general area, disconnect your antenna.
What happens if you hit Your House with an antenna?
Besides that, they are convenient to have just for selecting antennas. So they serve a double purpose. They will not protect against lightning, of course. A direct hit will melt the switch, along with the radio, and maybe the house. But even nearby strikes can create enough surge to make the switch pretty useless.
Is it OK to switch antenna to common ground?
Switching to “common/ground” will help discharge static, for sure, but usually static isn’t fatal to equipment and it doesn’t start fires. BIG lightning surges do that, and once those are inside your home, it’s too late to do much about them. Only for lightning bolts less than a inch or so long.
When is the best time to disconnect an antenna?
When thunderstorms are anywhere in the general area, disconnect your antenna. I have heard stories about people who disconnected the antenna and left the end of the coax just lying on the table, and lightning caused a very sizable arc, including a burn on the table.
Why do I need to switch my antenna when not on the radio?
If it is to deflect static charges to ground when the radio is not in use, and to be able to switch antennas, they are neat. But to protect your radio from massive surges, such as nearby lightning strikes, they won’t do the job.
If it is to deflect static charges to ground when the radio is not in use, and to be able to switch antennas, they are neat. But to protect your radio from massive surges, such as nearby lightning strikes, they won’t do the job. When thunderstorms are anywhere in the general area, disconnect your antenna.
Besides that, they are convenient to have just for selecting antennas. So they serve a double purpose. They will not protect against lightning, of course. A direct hit will melt the switch, along with the radio, and maybe the house. But even nearby strikes can create enough surge to make the switch pretty useless.
But to protect your radio from massive surges, such as nearby lightning strikes, they won’t do the job. When thunderstorms are anywhere in the general area, disconnect your antenna.
Switching to “common/ground” will help discharge static, for sure, but usually static isn’t fatal to equipment and it doesn’t start fires. BIG lightning surges do that, and once those are inside your home, it’s too late to do much about them. Only for lightning bolts less than a inch or so long.
How does an antenna work on a linear radio?
The antenna switch connects the input of the radio to ground when off. The incoming ladder line has a spark gap outside the house ahead of the balun. The coax from the balun is grounded outside the house at the entry point. The radio and linear are grounded via copper strips to the same common point.
