Polyphaser RF Surge Protectors
PolyPhaser RF surge protectors and lightning arrestors protect against power surges, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and high-altitude EMP (HEMP) that are caused by lightning or other strong electrical changes. They allow the desired frequency to pass through the cable while suppressing a DC surge.
RF surge arrestors filtering technologies are designed to withstand the high currents of a lightning strike. These devices are always “on” as they typically consist of an inductor to ground, providing superior protection.
PolyPhaser RF surge protector devices feature filtering technology that incorporates their patented spiral inductor, designed specifically to handle high-current lightning strikes. Competitive arrestors use a simple inductor coil to ground. Typically these simple inductor coils have lower lightning surge ratings than the PolyPhaser-engineered spiral inductors.
More Information about Polyphaser RF Surge Protectors
Many RF surge arrestors utilize circuit protections devices such as diodes, metal oxide varistors and gas discharge tubes. Some RF arrestors may use a simple standalone gas discharge tube, which does not offer very good protection as it typically requires several hundred volts before activating. The PolyPhaser GX series utilizes a hybrid circuit that incorporates the response time of a diode, while also adding the current handling capabilities of metal oxide varistors and gas discharge tubes. The result is an RF surge arrestor with one of the lowest energy and voltage let-through ratings on the market.
Surge Protection and Grounding for Radio Systems
It is important to keep in mind that when installing any radio antenna, it is going to be prone to electrical surge, especially through lighting strikes. With any power surge, there are a few things that need to happen in regards to this energy. First, the surge needs to be directed to ground as quickly and easily as possible. Second, as much of the energy as possible needs to be absorbed so that it does not enter the system and potentially damage vital components.
When installing any radio equipment, it is a good idea to have a dedicated ground rod for that system. In the event of a lighting strike, this ground rod will give the energy somewhere to go very quickly and easily, without having to enter the system. This is a cost effective method to protect radios and other electrical hardware.
Surge protection devices are needed to absorb any excess energy that is not dissipated through the ground rod. In the case of a radio antenna, this will most likely be a device that can interface with a coax cable. When installing the surge protection device, it is important that this device is grounded as well. When grounding the surge device, it is acceptable to tie this ground into the internal grounding system within the control panel. It does not need to be isolated. If both of these steps are followed the changes of the radio and other electrical equipment becoming damaged are greatly reduced.