[BC] More thoughts about AM transmitter lightning

[Bill Croghan]

	A real old and not always true guideline was to gap them 1 credit
card width per kilowatt in the tower.  That of course doesn't take into
consideration things like impedance, modulation density etc. but it makes a
good starting point to start looking for the arcs Cowboy mentions.

Bill

Bill Croghan CPBE WBØKSW
Chief Engineer, 
KOMP/KXPT/KENO/KBAD/KWWN
Lotus Broadcasting, Las Vegas, NV
Direct   702-315-3030
Cell	702-400-2558




> -----Original Message-----
> From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net
[mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf
> Of Cowboy
> Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2008 10:14 AM
> To: Broadcasters' Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [BC] More thoughts about AM transmitter lightning
> 
> On Thursday 22 May 2008 10:57 am, RichardBJohnson at comcast.net wrote:
> >   the following things need to be
> >  done BEFORE antenna measurements.
> 
>  I'd agree fully with that statement.
> 
> >  (2) A proper ball-gap needs to be installed
> >  across the base insulator. It needs to be
> >  adjusted for about an inch of spacing, slightly
> >  greater if there are nuisance arcs. Note,
> >  dry air at sea level holds off 30 kV per centimeter.
> 
>  An inch seems excessive to me.
>  I still like the old-school method. Close 'em down until they start to
arc with
>  modulation, then open them up until they stop, on as humid a day as
>  is likely to occur without actually raining.
>  Anything smaller than about 1/8 inch seems to draw ants and such,
>  which cause their own problems.
> 
> --
> Cowboy
> 
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