lightning strike on lnb

[jacko]

hi,
had a load of lightning the other night and my
neighbour lost his signal. thought first that the
dish had moved,but still lighned up on the
original markers(checked it anyhow to see if
i could get a better signal with the sat meter
but it was all ok).got a signal of 69 sly news
28 east,but can¨t get any picture.tried a different
receiver but still the same.if the lnb was damaged
during the lightning strike,would it still give a reading?
thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[PoloMint]

If the LNB was hit by lightening it would be a mangled mess, none the less it (or the system) could have been damaged by the electrical storm. The LNB could be damaged in such a way that it gives you a signal strength reading but not a usable signal, and so no signal quality, and no picture.

Are you checking the signal with the meter at the LNB or at the receiver end of the cable? It could be the cable was damaged by damp getting into it (or something else) which would explain getting a reading at the LNB but no picture at the receiver.

If possible try switching LNBs with a spare one, or a friends, that will confirm which part of the system was damaged.

 

[Analoguesat]

If lightning had hit the dish, the sky digibox would be a pile of smouldering scrap. its more likely an associated power surge has done some permanent damage to the electronics in the box.

I had a computer taken out by a nearby strike a few years ago - not fun

Get onto the insurance company and see if lightning damage is covered.

 

[jacko]

hi,
thanks for the replies.
the dish is on a flat roof,so i¨ve connected a 6 foot
cable to the lnb ,with the receiver and the tv also
on the roof.going to try a different lnb tomorrow.
the last twice we had lightning strikes in this area,
the dish on my motorised system went east to west
on its own,and the second time wiped all the channel
data and sat settings off the memory.

 

[JohnC]

Lightening doesn't have to make a direct strike to take out or damage an LNB....

Quit a large area surrounding a strike can become statically charged which can cause damage.... (I recently lost reception on both my sat Receivers for about one and half minutes after a lightening strike about a 100 metres away.... The only explanation was that the whole area was electrically charged for the duration, completely shielding all satellite signals).

The LNB could be working (giving a reading on the sat meter) but have limited function.... in this case for example the Local Oscillator could have blown which would prevent the receiver producing a picture.

Its good practice to earth your dish... this will help to discharge any positively charged field that may build up around your LNB and protect it

As a note of interest.. I remember my old grand mother telling me she could feel tingling in her fingers while knitting with steel knitting needles during thunderstorms.

 

[jacko]

thanks john c,
hope your right as i¨ve substituted everything
else except the lnb.
ps,good job i wasn¨t doing any knitting the other night,
as there was a lot of lightning about.

 

[JohnC]

thanks john c,
hope your right as i¨ve substituted everything
else except the lnb.
ps,good job i wasn¨t doing any knitting the other night,
as there was a lot of lightning about.

I wish you well in your efforts jacko!
John

 

[BGonaSTICK]

I'm thinking that if you were hit by lightning whilst knitting, you'd most likely be able to turn out three jumpers, two scarves and a baby grow before you hit the ground.

 

[jacko]

sorted,
changed the lnb and everythings working ok.
going to bin the knitting needles,think they
were attracting the lightning.

 

[JohnC]

Good-on-ya..!! old son

To be honest LNB's are cheap enough these days so not too much of a problem, (like the old days when they where over £100....)
My old Gran would have loved the comments about the knitting needles.....
All the best John

 

[jimbo]

Well done jacko...a successful end. 1

If you have any aubergine wool for darning let me know.

 

[jacko]

how many balls?

 

[jimbo]

how many balls?

The usual