[BC] AM transmitter lightning sensitivity issue

[Ron Nott]

Before a thunderstorm arrives, the electric field builds up to many 
thousands of volts per meter from the ground up into the 
atmosphere.  If it is not discharged, it can cause VSWR trips (and 
eventully lightning) long before the thunderstorm arrives.  There is 
nothing wrong with your antenna system and its ground system.  The 
transmitter sees a problem and reacts to it properly.

If you discharge part or all of the electric field as it builds up, 
you can prevent this from occuring.  Charge dissipation products are 
not glorified lightning rods, but dissipate the near electric field 
as it builds prior to a storm to greatly reduce the incidence of 
lightning and its effects.  The closed minds on this list will tell 
you that it does not work because they are incapable of grasping how 
it works, but in fact it does work.  A lightning strike is measured 
in Coulombs (one ampere for one second).  The reason that lightning 
does damage is that it discharges this energy in a matter of 
microseconds.  If you discharge it slowly over a time period of 
seconds or minutes, the discharge is normally in milliamperes or a 
few amperes instead of 10,000 to 30,000 amps or more in a few microseconds.

There is a solution to your problems, but only if you have an open 
mind. Lightning is not magic or evil witchcraft.  It is all based on 
science and specifically Ohm's law and the time constant formula (TC 
= RC).  If you really want to solve your problem, please contact me 
off list.  If you just want to whine, then don't.

Ron Nott