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  • Lightning Strike Protection

    Hello Forum.

    Those of you with external antennas, do you use Lightning strike/surge protection to avoid damages to your equipment/house wiring if the lightning should chose to strike your ADS-B Antenna ?

    If yes, how is this protection made?

    Thank you !

    //Martin B:

  • #2
    Theres not a lot you can do with a bolt of lightning. The real arrestors cost hundereds of dollars, probably more than the power supply or the devices attached that would get zapped.
    Posts not to be taken as official support representation - Just a helpful uploader who tinkers

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    • #3
      Hi Oblivian.

      Thanks for your reply.

      I am wondering how a lightning will impact my system when feeding power to it via PoE....

      My system has:

      Antenna > Mode S Filter > USB Dongle > Raspberry Pi > PoE Adapter > PoE Adapter > 5v Powersupply + LAN Connection to Switch.

      I am guessing if a lightning will strike it will impact both Powersupply and LAN connection and fry both the powersupply and the switch.

      So I am trying to figure out if I am able to limit damages to only the Raspberry PI and the powersupply.

      Found an AL-CAT5EJW-Outdoor-Base-T-Lightning-Protector on Amazon.com.

      Would this perhaps cut-off the lightning from wandering through the PoE feed if the protector is inserted between my PoE splitters like this:

      Antenna > Mode S Filter > USB Dongle > Raspberry Pi > PoE Adapter > LIGHTNING PROTECTOR > PoE Adapter > 5v Powersupply + LAN Connection to Switch.

      Any help is much appreciated

      Thank you !

      //Martin B.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by RealMuhko View Post
        ...

        I am wondering how a lightning will impact my system when feeding power to it via PoE....

        ...
        If a lightning chose to strike your antenna it was not that important whether you fed your system via PoE or whatever else. More likely, everything will get fried, no matter whether attached directly or in close proximity to the line antenna to best ground connection, with that line not necessarily following strictly a conductive path. Lightning currents like straight paths and are able to change conductivity of several substances dramatically in case there is just a short partial path missing for accomplishing the straight path.
        Lightning protection takes place by not letting hit a lightning your antenna. That is what lightning arresters are made for. They are not ment to get build by amateurs and typically keep apart from other conductive installations but earth electrodes / heavy groundings. They are put in an preferably straight path from tip to grounding.
        In case you are lucky with an up to date lightning protection installation you can add over voltage protection directly to your electronic components. That kind of protection never will gain ligthning protection level. Instead this will short severe over voltage induced by nearby lightning strike up to a certain amount.

        Better pay for experience by hiring professionals than trying by experiment when it comes to installing lightning arresters.

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        • #5
          Cant really see in that picture of the device you posted but this one http://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Prote...SGWKRXH429SEHA

          the devices you see between the lan connectors are designed short to ground over a certain voltage, you may still damage your switch (cheap devices generally mean slow), but with a good local ground you should certainly limit any damage from spreading.
          T-EGLF8

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          • #6
            EVEN IF YOUR HOUSE DOES NOT HAVE AN ANTENNA, LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE.

            THE DAMAGES SHOWN IN PHOTOS BELOW ARE CAUSED BY LIGHTNING STRIKE.

            THINK OF PROTECTING YOURSEF & YOUR HOUSE FIRST, AND PROTECTING YOUR RASPBERRY PI & DVB-T DONGLE LAST.











            Last edited by abcd567; 2016-02-12, 03:46.

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            • #7
              THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIGHTING PROTECTION OF BUILDING AND SURGE/LIGHTNING PROTECTION OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

              Lightning protection systems - What they do and don't do
              A lightning protection system's only purpose is to*ensure safety to a building and its occupants if lightning happens to hit it directly, a task accomplished by providing a good, safe path to ground for the lightning to follow. Contrary to the myths, lightning protection systems:

              -- Don't*attract lightning
              -- Don't*and*cannot*dissipate or prevent lightning by 'draining' a storm of its charge
              -- Most*don't*offer surge protection for sensitive electronics
              -- Do*offer fire protection and structural damage protection by preventing a hot, explosive lightning channel from passing through building materials.


              How a lightning protection system works

              Unprotected Structure - Without a designated path to reach ground, a lightning strike may choose to instead utilize any conductor available inside a house or building. This may include the phone, cable, or electrical lines, the water or gas pipes, or (in the case of a steel-framed building) the structure itself. Lightning usually will follow one or more of these paths to ground, sometimes jumping through the air via a*side flash*to reach a better-grounded conductor. As a result, lightning presents several hazards to any house or building:

              Fire- Fire can start anywhere the exposed lightning*channel*contacts, penetrates or comes near flammable material (wood, paper, gas pipes, etc) in a building - including structural lumber or insulation inside walls and roofs. When lightning follows electrical wiring, it will often overheat or even vaporize the wires, creating a fire hazard anywhere along affected circuits.

              Side flashes*- Side flashes can jump across rooms, possibly injuring anyone who happens to be in the way. They can also ignite materials such as a gasoline can in a garage.

              Damage to building materials*- The explosive*shock wave*created by a lightning discharge can blow out sections of walls, fragment concrete and plaster, and shatter nearby glass.
              *
              Damage to appliances*- Televisions, VCRs, microwaves, phones, washers, lamps and just about anything plugged into an affected circuit may be damaged beyond repair. Electronic devices and computers are especially vulnerable.

              Adding a lightning protection system doesn't prevent a strike, but gives it a better, safer path to ground. The air terminals, earth conductors from air terminals to earthing rods, and ground rods work together to carry the immense currents away from the structure, preventing fire and most appliance damage.

              Single protection





              Multiple protection




              Single protection is cost effective, but still there is substantial chance of damage by lightning bolt. There being only single conductor to earth, a substantial part of lightning bolt may still pass through building structure.

              With Multiple Protection System, there is very little chance that any appreciable part of lightning bolt will go through building structure. This is due to the fact that there are enough number of parallel paths provided by large number of lightning rods, copper down strips/wires and earth rods, all bonded together at roof level as well as ground level.



              Lightning and Surge Protectors / UPS Devices
              Surge protectors and UPS units are not suitable lightning protection devices. These appliances provide some degree of protection from voltage spikes from everyday power surges and distant lightning strikes. But when lightning strikes a structure directly or very close to it, lightning protection system or not, all bets are off.

              A common surge protector simply cannot have any effect on the violent, catastrophic burst of current from a very close or direct lightning strike. Direct lightning current is simply too big to protect with a little electronic device inside a power strip, or even a hefty UPS unit. If your UPS or surge protector is in the way of the lightning's path, all or part of the lightning will just flash over or through the device - regardless of the amount of capacitors and battery banks involved.

              Even 'disconnects', or devices that physically switch off power to a device by activating a set of contacts, will not guarantee protection. A small air gap will not stop a lightning bolt that has already jumped across miles of air. It won't think twice about jumping a few more inches, or even a few more feet, especially if the 'path of least resistance' to ground is across the contacts of the disconnect switch.

              SOURCE (Except two images above and their associated write up):

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              • #8
                The truth about lightning strike

                Originally posted by abcd567 View Post
                THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIGHTING PROTECTION OF BUILDING AND SURGE/LIGHTNING PROTECTION OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
                ...
                Short but comprehensive. Thank you very much for posting.

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                • #9
                  One simple precaution is to just have a good ground connection from the antenna mast back to ground. If you have a metal antenna mast, those are the best conductors in case of lightning pulse.

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                  • #10
                    Я так понимаю-если мачта антенны возвышается над крышей то её нужно заземлить(сама мачта при использовании может и не касаться земли).А вот интересно,нужно ли принимать какие-то меры защиты для кабеля антенны?

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                    • #11
                      yes you can get inline adapters

                      for example

                      http://www.l-com.com/surge-protector...rge-protectors
                      T-EGLF8

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                      • #12
                        0-6 GHz Coaxial Lightning and Surge Protectors

                        спасибо,понял.

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