Lightning Strikes?? How About Quick Disconnects??

[Lone Gunman]

Like a few others here I've lost a bunch of stuff to lightning in the past 5 years. And after being in this new house for 16 years with that Winegard system even that one got fried this year for the first time??

Early on it was just fried LNBFs on the dish setup here next to the shop and even then it was usually just one side, ie, C or Ku so I started disconnecting the coax from and it "seemed" to solve that problem with that system. Then next thing I know my TV got hit TWICE and also I had two receivers lose video output.

Fast forward to this year and it's been "game on" as now I'm losing everything, EVERYWHERE?? Sort of a WTF moment if you know what I mean. And just recently I had a strike come in on the motor leads and that fried yet another Vbox?? F%&#??? So now I have to disconnect those wires every day also, which is a PITA as I'm worried that I'll break one of those "tinker toy" connectors and then be up creek without a paddle again.

Which brings me to this, I've come up with a way to make it easier to disconnect those wires without risking screwing those connectors up. What I did was take some 4 pin connectors from an old computer power supply and then got some of the male counter part connectors from fleabay to make a 4 pin connector setup which is a simple "unplug" to disconnect the motor/sensor circuits.

So I was wondering if anyone else had done this and if so, what did you use to make a quick disconnect?

 

[Magic Static]

I used a flat 4 pin trailer connector. But I really don't have a problem with lightning here in the valley fortunately. I use the connector to swap controllers easily when working on the dish. Saves wear and tear on the controller for sure.

 

[FTA4PA]

I like both of these ideas! I've got it covered with disconnecting the coax but always worried about it coming in on the motor/sensor wires. I can apply this to the rotor wire for the antenna as well. I knew there must be a solution for it! Thanks!

 

[Lone Gunman]

I used a flat 4 pin trailer connector. But I really don't have a problem with lightning here in the valley fortunately. I use the connector to swap controllers easily when working on the dish. Saves wear and tear on the controller for sure.

Yeah Magic, I though about those but I had the computer stuff here in a box of spare wires and such so I just improvised. You got to remember that I'm cheap and those trailer connector kits aren't. Heh, but on the other side of that coin I guess they are cheaper than equipment though, hey!

Oh, and you can get those 12" IDE hard drive power supply extension cables from fleabay and just cut them in half and use them like I did mine.

 

[Magic Static]

I'm cheap too Being a mechanic all them years and never throwing stuff away I have lots of stuff to improvise with.

 

[Titanium]

Great Ideas! I have installed many $$$ distribution isolation units, but have never ran across any system using quick connect connectors. Brilliant! I literally have serviced thousands of homes and commercial facilities and hadn't run across or thought of using these. Having been struck by lightning, you would think that I would have had this whole disconnect thing covered! LOL!!!

 

[shanklej]

My system has 3 APCs. Two are working and the 3rd is used merely as a place to
plug in the power. I also unplug the power in a lightening storm. I am in a lightening
area if Florida. The phone is unplugged also. But there is a company called
"Justhitthebutton" which has an ethernet disconnect switch to disconnect from the
internet. My internet is turned off when I am not online. I just had a bad experience
with "justhitthebutton" as it took the prodding's from Paypal to get the item I paid
for. Maybe this is related and maybe not......

 

[harshness]

Most auto supply stores offer what is sometimes called a "Weather-Pack" or "Packard Plug". It is a relatively weather tight connector for that should work well for motor applications. They come in anywhere from 1-6 contact denominations for up to 12 gauge wire (20 amps). I use these beasties on portable rock crushing plants that are outdoors all their lives and operate under some pretty severe conditions.

Another popular outdoor connector is the Deutsch DT series but they beg for a special crimper to place the pins on the wire.

 

[Corrado]

I have been disconnecting everything for 9 years now after a strike here followed the dish actuator wires into the house and destroyed everything connected. If I'm away or a storm is forecast, it's easy enough to spend a couple of minutes disconnecting a few cables. The downside is once in a while my Dish receiver doesn't get it's authorization and I have to call in.

I've read where placing a loop in the cable before entry to the building helps prevent the spike from traveling down the coax also and have placed a loop of about 18" on my setups. Not sure if it's true, but like chicken soup, it can't hurt.

 

[wvman]

Like a few others here I've lost a bunch of stuff to lightning in the past 5 years. And after being in this new house for 16 years with that Winegard system even that one got fried this year for the first time??

Early on it was just fried LNBFs on the dish setup here next to the shop and even then it was usually just one side, ie, C or Ku so I started disconnecting the coax from and it "seemed" to solve that problem with that system. Then next thing I know my TV got hit TWICE and also I had two receivers lose video output.

Fast forward to this year and it's been "game on" as now I'm losing everything, EVERYWHERE?? Sort of a WTF moment if you know what I mean. And just recently I had a strike come in on the motor leads and that fried yet another Vbox?? F%&#??? So now I have to disconnect those wires every day also, which is a PITA as I'm worried that I'll break one of those "tinker toy" connectors and then be up creek without a paddle again.

Which brings me to this, I've come up with a way to make it easier to disconnect those wires without risking screwing those connectors up. What I did was take some 4 pin connectors from an old computer power supply and then got some of the male counter part connectors from fleabay to make a 4 pin connector setup which is a simple "unplug" to disconnect the motor/sensor circuits.

So I was wondering if anyone else had done this and if so, what did you use to make a quick disconnect?

Lone Gunman, You may want to check out Sycom Surge Protection. Their number is (800) 622-9904. I used their products for years when I was in business and never suffered a single loss from lightning. I had one customer that had the power pole beside his house hit at the transformer. It blew half the breakers in his breaker panel and fried one of their surge protectors (8 outlet), and never damaged anything hooked to it.They are designed to sacrifice itself rather than damage what's hooked to it. I think they still have a model with hookups for motor wires, and I think their warranty covers connected equipment up to $25,000.

May pay you to check them out because you can't be there every time a storm is brewing.

 

[Lone Gunman]

May pay you to check them out because you can't be there every time a storm is brewing.

But yes I can. I'll be 71 in two weeks and have been retired now since January of 2006. With the health issues I now have I seldom go anywhere that's more than 30 minutes from my house and if the forecast calls for falling weather, I'm just going to leave the stuff disconnected. If it's not connected to anything then it's going to take a direct strike on the house to cause problems and there will be a lot more to worry about than satellite equipment. Appreciate the info though.

 

[wvman]

But yes I can. I'll be 71 in two weeks and have been retired now since January of 2006. With the health issues I now have I seldom go anywhere that's more than 30 minutes from my house and if the forecast calls for falling weather, I'm just going to leave the stuff disconnected. If it's not connected to anything then it's going to take a direct strike on the house to cause problems and there will be a lot more to worry about than satellite equipment. Appreciate the info though.

I understand. I am 61 and my wife went through cancer treatments three years ago and she has so much trouble after being burned up inside by the radiation, she hardly ever gets out of the house. Years ago, I had lightening hit our chain link fence where I had a Dish Network dish on. It got everything on the other end when it traveled down the coax and into the house. It even knocked the HDMI out of my security system and whacked the HDMI on the television. It's a real bummer when you have stuff whacked.

I hope things work out for you. It's no fun being in poor health or having a spouse ill. Good luck.