Well, a lot of things lead me to believe that absolute protection is not to be expected with any design, and warranties are likely worthless even if they seem to apply. Am I wrong to assume that "lightning" mostly differs from other surge sources in total energy for a direct or close hit? In other words, if there is a lightning strike that is not direct or very close, its total energy as well as rise time and duration would not be very different from other surges, and a whole house surge suppressor that can handle other surges would be equally helpful for the one generated by lightning. I may be wrong about the pulse shape being similar, but my first guess stems from the assumption that the wires between the lightning strike site and the house play a major role in shaping the pulse. Anyway if my assumption is correct, it makes sense to get whole house protection not as guaranteed lightning protection but because it would significantly improve the odds of avoiding electronics damage due to lightning.
Dave's comment also gives me the idea to call the local utility and ask if they offer whole house protection at a better price than the $600 unit I identified. 73, Erik K7TV David Gilbert wrote: The fine print on the whole house system offered by my electric utility specifically exempts lightning surges from protection. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
