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#280829 - 05/28/16 12:53 PM A Minor Case of EMP???
wildman800 Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 2846
Loc: La-USA
Last night at 1825, we had a very strong bolt of lightening come extremely close but just above and forward of our Flying Bridge. We suffered the loss of 1 RADAR system, 2 VHF-FM Radios, and the Intercom System.

The RADAR unit/Antenna was the higher of the 2 antennas. The VHF-FM radios antennas are 1 to Port and 1 to Stbd. The Intercom has a speaker mounted on the Flying Bridge forward. All system fuses are intact. No circuit breakers were tripped.

Yall's thoughts????
_________________________
QMC, USCG (Ret)
The best luck is what you make yourself!

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#280834 - 05/28/16 02:51 PM Re: A Minor Case of EMP??? [Re: wildman800]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
Most of the time when people use the term EMP, they mean a electromagnetic pulse with the potential to take out electronics over a wide area. Lightning strikes and near hits tend to damage electronics, especially radio systems connected to antennas, but over a very small area per strike.

What you describe certainly fits the description of a strong pulse of electromagnetic energy. I've seen IT systems killed by near-hits with lightning before. My sympathies, sir.

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#280835 - 05/28/16 03:26 PM Re: A Minor Case of EMP??? [Re: wildman800]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
The fuses and circuit breakers failing to protect the equipment is curious. I'd be interested in knowing how the EM energy coupled to the equipment. I'd also be interested in which component of the radar failed.

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#280836 - 05/28/16 04:00 PM Re: A Minor Case of EMP??? [Re: wildman800]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
Fuses and circuit breakers can do pretty well to protect against surges entering through the electrical supply. They don't necessarily do as well at protecting against surges entering through an antenna. It sounds like the intercom's wiring served as an inadvertent antenna.

More information can be read at http://www.arrl.org/lightning-protection .

If you have good lightning protection on your antennas, you may have less to repair or replace.

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#280838 - 05/28/16 05:04 PM Re: A Minor Case of EMP??? [Re: wildman800]
wildman800 Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 2846
Loc: La-USA
Those were my thoughts exactly concerning the Intercom system being fried.


Edited by wildman800 (05/28/16 05:05 PM)
_________________________
QMC, USCG (Ret)
The best luck is what you make yourself!

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#280839 - 05/28/16 05:08 PM Re: A Minor Case of EMP??? [Re: wildman800]
wildman800 Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 2846
Loc: La-USA
I won't know about the RADAR components until we have an ET come onboard in Houston.
_________________________
QMC, USCG (Ret)
The best luck is what you make yourself!

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#280844 - 05/29/16 12:46 AM Re: A Minor Case of EMP??? [Re: wildman800]
wildman800 Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 2846
Loc: La-USA
Add the TV satellite tracking antenna system to the list of fried electronics....
_________________________
QMC, USCG (Ret)
The best luck is what you make yourself!

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#280845 - 05/29/16 04:05 AM Re: A Minor Case of EMP??? [Re: wildman800]
Mark_R Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 05/29/10
Posts: 863
Loc: Southern California
My best guess would be splash from the lightning strike. Same end effect as EMP, a large voltage drop over distance. It's the reason that cattle, with their front and rear hooves so far apart, do so poorly in lightning storms.

If your not using shielded cables and electronics enclosures, a near strike would fry anything in the immediate vicinity.
_________________________
Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane

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#280846 - 05/29/16 04:05 AM Re: A Minor Case of EMP??? [Re: wildman800]
Bingley Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 1576
Originally Posted By: wildman800
I won't know about the RADAR components until we have an ET come onboard in Houston.


ET???? Did he... phone home?

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#280858 - 05/29/16 11:03 PM Re: A Minor Case of EMP??? [Re: wildman800]
wildman800 Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 2846
Loc: La-USA
Here's a weird twist: at noon today, the STBD VHF-FM radio came on line and is now working as designed. Any ideas as to what may have happened???
_________________________
QMC, USCG (Ret)
The best luck is what you make yourself!

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