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Protecting the SeaSonde
from Lightning and
Other Electrical Surges
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
The occurrence of lightning striking SeaSonde
antennas is extremely low. However, the statistics
vary geographically
and even a small risk exists at any
coastal HF radar location. Some may
ask, "what can be done
to prevent the
antenna from being struck by lightning".
Unfortunately there are no devices that can prevent a strike
on the antennas without disrupting their normal
performance. There might be some very sophisticated
antenna protection system that may not negatively affect the
antennas, but these expensive designs cost more than the price
of entire SeaSonde unit and still can offer no guarantees.
All SeaSondes are equipped with some lightning protection built
into the transmitter chassis and the receive antenna (shown below). The purpose
of these devices is to minimize the effects
of a lightning strike upon the more expensive parts of
SeaSonde electronics if an antenna is hit.
 Click image to enlarge
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The SeaSonde Extended Lightning Protection
Kit, CODAR Product Code LT-E1, (shown below) is an optional secondary
lightning protection package set in a small weatherproof housing (mountable
either indoors or outdoors) intended to provide one additional layer
of electronics protection. It uses the same gas discharge tube method
on all transmit and receive cables connected to the electronics. It
is not a guarantee
against damage but is another technology that may help protect the
electronics chassis (if either antenna or antenna cables take a direct hit).
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CODAR Product Code LT-E1
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| CODAR Product Code UPS1500 |
Power coming to SeaSonde should
be buffered via an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) Power
Conditioning Unit (CODAR Product Code UPS1500). A UPS connecting
the SeaSonde unit to its power source (e.g. wall plug) will provide
a layer of protection
to electronics against power surges that come from power line. They
also allow for continued quality performance through power fluctuations
(sometimes
referred to as "brownouts"). UPS devices are small investments with
big rewards.
Consult CODAR Support Team for additional details on protection
technology and how these may be best utilized inside your SeaSonde network.
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