The Exploding Solarcon Antron A-99
While I was out having fun at Gulf Shores in Tropical Storm Cindy (2005), lightning was popping back at the house about 300 miles north. My old Solarcon A99 finally bit the dust when it took a direct hit. Other stuff damaged include a TV, three cable boxes, a Yaesu FT-857D, my old Cobra 142GTL, the phone line protection on the surge protector going to my modem, and a little discoloration to my computer monitor. An old Bearcat scanner sitting on top of the CB, and connected to an outside antenna, survived but had to be reprogrammed. I have some pictures below of the aftermath. Click on pictures to see full size.
The top section looks like it was turned inside out and bottom section was blown to pieces but the middle section is still hanging on in one piece, dangling by the conductor that ran up the inside of the bottom section. As you can see, the Antron ground plane radial kit is left fully intact. The FM Stereo antenna that is half way up the pole was connected to the scanner that survived. The Comet GP-6 in the background was unharmed.
It appears that the strike ran down the antenna to its base and then jumped to ground, exploding the bottom section of the Antron. The top section fiberglass whip is almost turned inside out. The insulation from the center conductor is woven in and out of the fiberglass whip but there is no sign of any copper wire inside. It must have been completely vaporized. The remains of the bottom section were scattered on three sides of the house and the roof, 30-50 feet in all directions. The top section was also on the roof.
The Yaesu was repaired at the factory under warranty, back in service in about two weeks. I have heard people putting down Yaesu for not standing behind their equipment. The service on my FT-857D was top notch. It went back to the factory from HRO in Atlanta, Georgia, and came back working perfectly without a hitch. So far, my experience with Yaesu support has been excellent.
The power supply was all that was damaged in the Cobra. It now runs only on DC power.
The Charter Cable Guy repairing my cable in the rain.
Lesson learned...disconnect coax during storms or when going on vacation...better yet, anytime when not in use.
I ordered an Interceptor 10K antenna from Jay in the Mojave to replace the Antron. This really is the best CB antenna ever made. It is rugged and was in excellent condition on arrival. The Interceptor 10K is without a doubt, by far the best antenna money can buy.
Update: The I10K held up through a tornado 5/11/2008 but my pole was bent over almost horizontal. I have since got a light hit from lightning and lost one radio and a power strip. I think Jay's antenna coupled with three good ground rods directed most of the charge into the ground.
Read more about Antron 99 Antennas
The Antron 99 EXPOSED! (By Tech 833)
I did not write this article. If you have questions about the "Exposed" article, you will have to track down Tech883.