[BC] AM transmitter lightning sensitivity issue

[Dana Puopolo]

Do you have static drain chokes across all the towers? If so, do they still
work? I've seen them go open as the result of lightning and still look
fine-only an ohmmeter could find the problem.

I'd also make sure that you have an arc quencher where the tower feed comes in
to the ATU...and you might also try increasing the loop between the ATU and
tower to three turns from the normal one turn.

-D





------ Original Message ------
Received: Wed, 21 May 2008 02:51:04 PM EDT
From: Cowboy <curt at spam-o-matic.net>
To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Subject: Re: [BC] AM transmitter lightning sensitivity issue

On Wednesday 21 May 2008 01:41 pm, Gregory Muir wrote:
>  Within my station group I have a Harris Gates Five AM transmitter which 
>  exhibits an unusual sensitivity to local lightning storm events.  Upon the

>  appearance of a storm, the transmitter will begin to automatically lower 
>  it's output power through the power adjustment range with each lightning 
>  strike until it finally goes off the air after reaching the lowest power 
>  setting.  It is obvious that the unit sees VSWR events which causes it to 
>  react.  But what is interesting is that it will react to the same events 
>  even when the storms are 5-10 miles distant from the site with similar 
>  results.