WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

Is it dangerous to use my scanner during a lightning storm.What should i do.I have a discone atop of 2 story unit.

richard omeara wrote:Is it dangerous to use my scanner during a lightning storm.What should i do.I have a discone atop of 2 story unit.

Absolutely it is!

Think about what an antenna is designed to do - pick up electric currents that are milli or micro-volts in strength, then bring those voltages from your roof into your house... Then you get a lighning bolt that measures in the millions of volts in strength...

Lightning doesn't even have to strike the antenna to cause you problems. Just the induced currents from lightning tens of kilometres away could come down your feed-line and into whatever the antenna is plugged into.

It's a very good idea to disconnect your antenna from your equipment at the first hint of an electrical storm. Ideally the antenna should also be earthed before it comes into the house.

Thanks zebedee.I never forgot seeing a current running threw an extention cord going to a fan during a storm.The fan was worth about $20.Scanner cost a lot more.

I had lightning all around me last night, and on a relativity far away (k or two) strike the TV's connected to the antenna all froze and had to be power cycled to get the signal back [-o<

richard omeara wrote:Is it dangerous to use my scanner during a lightning storm.What should i do.I have a discone atop of 2 story unit.

Just adding on what Zebedee said, it is highly recommended that you disconnect the coax from your scanner and keep it as far away as possible from anything electrical.
So for example if your scanner was sitting on your computer desk, don't just unplug it and leave it sitting there next to everything. Move the cable as far away as possible from anything conductive, because high voltage can jump, and it can jump very far!

electricity finds the quickest earth, so earth your mast.....