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Aerial hit by lightening (I think)


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Old 28-06-2014, 20:43
LizzieDee
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Whilst out this afternoon it appears that it's likely my aerial has sustained a hit by lightening as I've lost the signal. Several houses here lost their electrics. Everything is working again except my TV!

I have a "Masthead Amplifier Safety Power Supply" which has a red light showing, indicating power overload, and I disconnected it from the mains for half an hour to allow it to cool down. After reconnecting it the red light is still showing.

Is there anything I can do other than replace the amplifier? In fact, if I do replace it is it likely that this is the only part that would have been damaged?

TIA
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Old 28-06-2014, 21:52
grahamlthompson
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If your aerial had actually been hit by lightning you would have known it about big time,


The coax connections from your aerial would have vaporised, along with most of (or all of the aerial along with the chance of a major fire in your roof, and your TV is likely to caught fire as well, Other than that it's hard to say (your problem will be associated with the mains surge arriving by your aerial or via your electricity supply ( much worse if you happen to be in a location with a overhead power line supply} . Try disconnecting the input to your amplifier and connecting it one of the outputs (assuming you have a amplifier with more than 1 output). You may not need the amplifier anyway.
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Old 28-06-2014, 22:13
LizzieDee
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I realised after reading about aerial strikes on Google that I'd have more to worry about than no TV - probably a power surge then?

The aerial lead from the wall into the amplifier doesn't have the right fitting to go direct into the TV - it's like a sealed end which screws into the amplifier. I wondered if it was just the fuse in the amplifier, but guess not as the light presumably wouldn't work if that was the case. There is only one output on the amplifier.

The second TV in my bedroom is not working either. Everything else in the house is fine.
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Old 28-06-2014, 22:50
grahamlthompson
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I realised after reading about aerial strikes on Google that I'd have more to worry about than no TV - probably a power surge then?

The aerial lead from the wall into the amplifier doesn't have the right fitting to go direct into the TV - it's like a sealed end which screws into the amplifier. I wondered if it was just the fuse in the amplifier, but guess not as the light presumably wouldn't work if that was the case. There is only one output on the amplifier.

The second TV in my bedroom is not working either. Everything else in the house is fine.
The sealed end I guess is a F connector (with a screw on connection, rather than a push in one) it's just a more modern replacement for the ancient Belling Lee TV connectors.

Somewhere the connection from your aerial to the two TV's is split.

I think what you think is an amplifier is simply a power supply for a amplifier which may be in the loft or may be a small box mounted on the aerial mast close to the aerial.

Look at your aerial, does the coax connection from it connect to a small box mounted on the aerial mast ?

Does the coax cable from the aerial appear in your loft with a small box with two outputs ?

Without more information about your aerial is connected to both TV's it's hard to speculate.

You may have a masthead amplifier you no longer need thanks to dso, (zapped by a close up lighting surge), depending on where it is located you may easily be able to simply remove it and fit a one in two out passive splitter,

Sorry it's all guess work.
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Old 29-06-2014, 00:03
chrisjr
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I think what you think is an amplifier is simply a power supply for a amplifier which may be in the loft or may be a small box mounted on the aerial mast close to the aerial.
I would bet a guaranteed jackpot winning lottery ticket that that is exactly what the box behind the telly is.

There is a chance as you say that the masthead amp has suffered as a result of the storm.

LizzieDee, look for a label on the unit with a maker's name and model number on it. That might give us a clue as to what it is.
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Old 29-06-2014, 07:01
LizzieDee
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Good morning.

The box I referred to has the number V23-2102G on it.

The only other thing I can see is a box outside (actually it's under my mobile home) with Vision on it, about 4 inches square with two black and one white cable running in or out of it. On the back it says Vision Masthead Amplifier. I opened it up and there doesn't appear to be any damage to the cables inside the box.
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Old 29-06-2014, 09:49
LizzieDee
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I've just found that my local Screwfix store is open today. I wonder if some kind soul would take a look and tell me which item they think is worth trying please? The cheapest option would be good in case it doesn't work and I have to call in the aerial guy after all.

Thank you!

http://www.screwfix.com/search.do?fh...h_view_size=20
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Old 29-06-2014, 10:00
chrisjr
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Good morning.

The box I referred to has the number V23-2102G on it.

The only other thing I can see is a box outside (actually it's under my mobile home) with Vision on it, about 4 inches square with two black and one white cable running in or out of it. On the back it says Vision Masthead Amplifier. I opened it up and there doesn't appear to be any damage to the cables inside the box.
OK the box behind the telly is a power supply for the masthead amplifier you have discovered under the mobile home.

The fact that the cables appear intact is unfortunately no indication that the amplifier is healthy. It is quite possible that the electronics inside the amplifier have fried. And sometimes the damage is very obvious and sometimes impossible to see by eye.

Unless you are comfortable with fault finding electronic kit I would be tempted to replace both the power supply and the masthead amp. That would probably be the best way to ensure you end up with a fully working system again.

If all the cables have F-Type screw on connectors it should be a simple DIY job (or you are reasonably competent with a screwdriver) as it doesn't look like any ladders are needed to get at the bits . All you have to make sure is that you correctly identify which of the three cables on the amp is the aerial.

With some amplifiers it doesn't matter which output cable goes where. On others only one output lead supplies power, so that is the one you have to connect the cable going back to the power supply to. Mind you with a choice of two it is easy enough to figure out. If it doesn't work just swap them round
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Old 29-06-2014, 10:04
chrisjr
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I've just found that my local Screwfix store is open today. I wonder if some kind soul would take a look and tell me which item they think is worth trying please? The cheapest option would be good in case it doesn't work and I have to call in the aerial guy after all.

Thank you!

http://www.screwfix.com/search.do?fh...h_view_size=20
Try this combo.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-lm...puts-9db/64874
http://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-sc...pply-12v/80459

There is a slightly cheaper four way kit
http://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-fi...it-4-way/26562

If you plan to add any more TVs

As I posted above best to replace both power supply and masthead as you cannot be certain which bit is faulty.
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Old 29-06-2014, 10:05
LizzieDee
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OK the box behind the telly is a power supply for the masthead amplifier you have discovered under the mobile home.

The fact that the cables appear intact is unfortunately no indication that the amplifier is healthy. It is quite possible that the electronics inside the amplifier have fried. And sometimes the damage is very obvious and sometimes impossible to see by eye.

Unless you are comfortable with fault finding electronic kit I would be tempted to replace both the power supply and the masthead amp. That would probably be the best way to ensure you end up with a fully working system again.

If all the cables have F-Type screw on connectors it should be a simple DIY job (or you are reasonably competent with a screwdriver) as it doesn't look like any ladders are needed to get at the bits . All you have to make sure is that you correctly identify which of the three cables on the amp is the aerial.

With some amplifiers it doesn't matter which output cable goes where. On others only one output lead supplies power, so that is the one you have to connect the cable going back to the power supply to. Mind you with a choice of two it is easy enough to figure out. If it doesn't work just swap them round

Thanks so much, I can manage practical things quite well - it's the technical stuff that totally confuses me
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Old 29-06-2014, 10:31
anthony david
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I had this happen to an amp in the loft after a bad storm, you don't need a direct hit just a large electromagnetic pulse from the lightning.
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Old 29-06-2014, 11:00
Nigel Goodwin
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As others have said, a direct hit would have vaporised the aerial, and all electronics in the house - and probably blown a huge hole in the roof - my brothers house was struck, and it vaporised half a dozen or so rafters.

So it's most likely a strike somewhere 'near', the effects could be air-borne, or come up the mains - air borne is likely to have killed the amplifier on the roof, mains borne is more likely to have killed the power unit.

If that's all that's damaged, it wasn't a very close strike

I've done huge numbers of lightning insurance claims over the years, including the same houses on the same street struck twice, a year apart
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Old 29-06-2014, 11:27
Winston_1
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I would just replace the amplifier first. The power supply gas a red light indicating overload (in the amplifier) after all.
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Old 29-06-2014, 12:12
chrisjr
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I would just replace the amplifier first. The power supply gas a red light indicating overload (in the amplifier) after all.
I would not. How do you know that the power supply is actually working OK? What if the regulator has popped and it is stuffing some garbage voltage up the cable at the amplifier that has in turn fried the amp?

If it were me I would be sticking a volt meter across the output of the power supply at the very least to check. And taking it apart to have a good look for damage. Similarly with the amp as well.

But I wonder if the OP has the tools or knowledge to do the necessary checks? If not the safest thing would be to replace both elements.
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Old 29-06-2014, 12:15
SJ_Mental
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About ten years ago a few of the houses in our street were struck by lightning, I saw my satellite dish get struck the television went green and the sky box powered off, I was on the phone at the time and heard a pop and static, All of the local phone lines were then fused and crossed except mine meaning everyone could hear each others phone lines when they picked theirs up

A few of the houses across the road lost vcrs, Modems and televisions, Luckily for me my equipment all survived after being turned off and on again
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Old 30-06-2014, 10:23
Winston_1
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Luckily for me my equipment all survived after being turned off and on again
In which case your dish was not struck. If it had been struck the cable would have been vaporised and your equipment would certainly have not survived.
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Old 01-07-2014, 10:44
SJ_Mental
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In which case your dish was not struck. If it had been struck the cable would have been vaporised and your equipment would certainly have not survived.
Well I was stood looking out of the window and it is at ground floor height, I saw it hit, And none of the other houses which did lose equipment needed to replace cabling.
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Old 01-07-2014, 20:32
Winston_1
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Well I was stood looking out of the window and it is at ground floor height, I saw it hit, And none of the other houses which did lose equipment needed to replace cabling.
No, you saw the flash and thought it had hit your dish. If it had you most likely would not be around to tell the story. And most certainly your equipment would not have survived.
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Old 01-07-2014, 21:31
grahamlthompson
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Well I was stood looking out of the window and it is at ground floor height, I saw it hit, And none of the other houses which did lose equipment needed to replace cabling.
Does your dish have a very thick copper earth bond cable connected to a earth spike ?. If not the chances of it and your kit surviving a direct strike are zilch.

Next time you are out and about look at the copper bonding the lightning conductor on say your local church has. This has to be designed to carry the thousands of amps safely to earth and prevent damage to the structure of the building by eliminating any current discharging through the actual building. Even bending the copper using tight bends around a protrusion on the building can cause the current to jump through the Stone or Brickwork causing severe damage.

This is replaced by a thin coax cable (assuming your dish is not earth bonded by heavy copper cables), it would survive a matter of milliseconds.
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Old 01-07-2014, 22:10
Mike_1101
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I knew someone whose house was hit by lightning a few years ago. The house had to be completely rewired, all electrical appliances replaced and there was some structural damage (chimney stack collapsed and a hole punched into the roof). The insurance company paid out (apart from an excess).

if equipment was damaged due to a power surge due to a strike on a nearby building, would insurance cover that? In my case I pay a little extra for "accidental damage".
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Old 02-07-2014, 09:10
Nigel Goodwin
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I knew someone whose house was hit by lightning a few years ago. The house had to be completely rewired, all electrical appliances replaced and there was some structural damage (chimney stack collapsed and a hole punched into the roof). The insurance company paid out (apart from an excess).
I've seen many such examples.

Does anyone here remember an old Grundig TV, where the remote control 'plugged' in the front of the TV? - you pressed the remote and it popped out in your hand.

In one case the customers house was struck, destroying the chimney and part of the roof, and it 'blasted' the remote control out of the front of the set, hitting the customer


if equipment was damaged due to a power surge due to a strike on a nearby building, would insurance cover that? In my case I pay a little extra for "accidental damage".
Yes it does, I've done MANY such estimates for lightning strike customers. The vast majority of lightning claims aren't direct strikes, and the ones that are direct strikes are blatantly obvious
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Old 02-07-2014, 10:49
LizzieDee
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I'm sorry I haven't been back to follow up on hints, tips and help, but on the way back from Screwfix with the splitter I collapsed at the wheel of my car, and have just spent 3 days in hospital. Alls well now and the only damage is to the car and a garden fence

I have tried the new splitter but there is no change. My neighbours also lost their TV signal but they are with Virgin so I'm not sure what to do now, other than call the aerial people, my neighbours think it's the lightening strike or electrical surge that has affected their line as well?

Do I need the aerial fitter? (I'm a little restricted at the moment in what I can do myself)
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Old 02-07-2014, 10:58
chrisjr
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I'm sorry I haven't been back to follow up on hints, tips and help, but on the way back from Screwfix with the splitter I collapsed at the wheel of my car, and have just spent 3 days in hospital. Alls well now and the only damage is to the car and a garden fence

I have tried the new splitter but there is no change. My neighbours also lost their TV signal but they are with Virgin so I'm not sure what to do now, other than call the aerial people, my neighbours think it's the lightening strike or electrical surge that has affected their line as well?

Do I need the aerial fitter? (I'm a little restricted at the moment in what I can do myself)
Which bits exactly did you change? Both amplifier and power supply or just the amplifier? And did you double and triple check what cables went were to ensure you had reconnected them correctly?

It is possible that the aerial cable has been damaged by the lightning surge. If enough voltage and current are zapped into it it could burn out.
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Old 02-07-2014, 11:06
Nigel Goodwin
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It is possible that the aerial cable has been damaged by the lightning surge. If enough voltage and current are zapped into it it could burn out.
'Possible', but VERY, VERY unlikely - that would require a direct strike, and damage would be obvious. But even with direct strikes, the coax 'usually' survives
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