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Lightning damage?

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  • 03-09-2016 11:04pm
    #1
    PauloMN
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional North East Moderators Posts: 10,869 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Few months back, we'd a lightning storm right overhead, and during the storm I noticed my Watson PSU starting acting up - the fan (which is quite loud in these) stayed on regardless of the load. It was on full speed even with no load connected.

    Eventually got around to fixing it a month ago - apparently the op amp IC fails in these, so I replaced it with a 358 chip and it was back working fine.

    Tonight - same thing - lightning in the area, and the same problem with the PSU, fan stuck on full blast again. The PSU is plugged into one of these surge protectors, and the antenna was unplugged from the radio at the time.

    Pure coincidence, or are these ICs getting damaged by lightning when nothing else in the shack is?

    Thankfully 358 chips are very cheap, and last time I soldered in an IC socket just in case, so not really a bother to fix.


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    #2
    pixbyjohn
    Registered Users Posts: 6,250 ✭✭✭pixbyjohn


    Just as a matter of interest, when you unplugged the antenna where did you leave the antenna lead, did you ground it?
    Sorry to hear about your psu damage, was that powered on both times too?


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    #3
    PauloMN
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional North East Moderators Posts: 10,869 Mod ✭✭✭✭PauloMN


    pixbyjohn wrote: »
    Just as a matter of interest, when you unplugged the antenna where did you leave the antenna lead, did you ground it?
    Sorry to hear about your psu damage, was that powered on both times too?

    I've no proper grounding here, it's something I should sort out really.

    PSU was running both times it happened. Just surprised that something like that has been affected twice, when I've loads of other gear I thought would have been more sensitive to damage on the same desk.


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