LNB's, Lightning and how to protect?

M

markie76

Member
Hi Guys,

Last week we had a passing thunderstorm which I believe produced a lightning strike on our block or the next building. All the satellite dishes are mounted on a small flat roof in a cluster fairly snuggly together. Apparently all the sky dishes lost reception and a few sky+ boxes stopped working.

I have an Echostar DSB-2200 which was powered off at the time but when I tried it it says no signal.

So, I suspect the LNB has had it.

My question is;
1. Would it just be the LNB or also the cable?
2. I'm planning a dish change anyway to include a H2H motor, how do I protect the new setup from subsequent strikes/near strikes?


Thanks,

Mark.
 
markie76 said:
My question is;
1. Would it just be the LNB or also the cable?
Click to expand...

It is not possible to predict the discharge path of lightening, expect the worst and plan for both, if it is not then assume you have a bonus. A lightening discharge merely wants to find the shortest path to earth
markie76 said:
2. I'm planning a dish change anyway to include a H2H motor, how do I protect the new setup from subsequent strikes/near strikes?
Click to expand...

You can indeed search the forum for details which have been posted, however it would be unusual in a domestic setup and IMHO you would be wasting your time if you do and the others don't as the unearthed attraction to the lightening will still be there
 
markie76 said:
Hi Guys,

Last week we had a passing thunderstorm which I believe produced a lightning strike on our block or the next building. All the satellite dishes are mounted on a small flat roof in a cluster fairly snuggly together. Apparently all the sky dishes lost reception and a few sky+ boxes stopped working.

I have an Echostar DSB-2200 which was powered off at the time but when I tried it it says no signal.

So, I suspect the LNB has had it.

My question is;
1. Would it just be the LNB or also the cable?
2. I'm planning a dish change anyway to include a H2H motor, how do I protect the new setup from subsequent strikes/near strikes?


Thanks,

Mark.
Click to expand...

Let's hope your receiver wasn't damaged. You did the right thing by switching it off (perhaps just by chance ?), but I would go as far as unplugging it from the mains and disconnecting the LNB cable from the LNB connector on the receiver, in bad whether conditions.
Answers:
1 - Mainly the LNB, but a remote possibility cable also.
2 - Any protection system would cost you a lot more than changing an LNB or the receiver. I would Live dangerously and save my money for a new LNB. But would include a clause in the insurance policy against thunderstorms damages.
 
In similar case, with my receiver, besides the lnb, also lnb power supply block, based on LM317 IC was simply EXPLODED! I've changed it, but input tuner was dead also. So now this receiver serves me as actuator - it still can rotate motor and send diseqc commands, but deaf in plans of reception.
 
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