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Reviews For: Polyphaser

Category: Lightning & Surge Protection/Supression

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Review Summary For : Polyphaser
Reviews: 17MSRP: 63.00
Description:
Complete lightning protection system.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.polyphaser.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00174.1
N8EKT Rating: 2004-07-26
GREAT PRODUCT Time Owned: more than 12 months.
ALL PROTECTORS HAVE A VOLTAGE RATING.
EXCEED THE VOLTAGE RATING AND THEY WILL SHUNT TO GROUND.
RUNNING IN THE 2KW RANGE COULD PRODUCE BEYOND THEIR VOLTAGE RATING IF YOUR ANTENNA IS TOO FAR OUTSIDE OF RESONANCE.
ANY PROTECTOR RATED FOR 8KW WILL AFFORD LITTLE PROTECTION DUE TO IT'S HIGH VOLTAGE RATING.
WV9G Rating: 2004-04-27
Where's the beef? Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I mounted the copper plate in an enclosed box on the side of my house next to my tower. I mounted the lightning blocks on it for my rotator and coax switch, and one for the single coax coming from the coax switch up the tower. I grounded all that plus my tower to a grounding rod and thought life was good. Worked fine right up until I was able to send a little lightning OUT the coax with my new amplifier. Smoked the coax protector rated 2kw with 1000 watts. Just replaced with one from ICE rated 8kw and should be OK now, but when I opened up the Polyphaser it looked to me like they were wishful hopers if they thought it would take 2kw! Good unit barefoot but not QRO!
KX2S Rating: 2004-04-06
Cannot take POWER Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have gone through two of these units. Both had shorted out while running my 1KW amp. Went to ICE much better results.
W9LBB Rating: 2003-10-28
Short & Sweet review... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The folks at PolyPhaser KNOW lightning protection.

Their products are the BEST you can get.

I wouldn't trust my stable of Racal gear to anything else.

THAT'S the name of THAT tune! PERIOD!!!


73's,

Tom, W9LBB
W4TME Rating: 2003-10-08
Saved my rig & tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My operating position consists of an IC-756 Pro II as my primary transceiver and a remote AH-4 antenna coupler that is about 100' from the shack hidden in the woods (CC&Rs). I use a ladderline fed 29-meter flattop as the antenna. For lightning protection, I use a Polyphaser IS-CLDP in-line twisted pair protector on the AH-4 control lines and an I.C.E 300/U for the coax. Several weeks ago, Hurricane Isabel came ashore within 150 miles of my QTH bringing heavy rain wind and yes, lightning. I had my 756 Pro II's coax disconnected in the shack, but could not disconnect the AH-4 from the coax or control cable. What I assume was a lightning induced EMP, took out the Polyphaser IS-CLDP but left the rig and the AH-4 in perfect working order. I am sold on both the Polyphaser and the I.C.E products. Best insurance you can buy, bar none.

-Tim
KC4FWC Rating: 2002-01-03
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Yes, they are costly. BUT they are the ONLY way to go when thinking about lightning protection. Bond these to copper ground buss, your AC line and ground rods, and everything is common. Lightning protection is not like a definite thing. You never know what lightning will do. But these Polyphaser units have proven themselves as far as I am concerned. Direct strikes to a DB-420, connected to an MSF-5000 and never stopped working. Even the GaAsFET still worked! Very low loss and constant impedance. I was VERY surprised by the recieve only units. No loss even measured, and they are coupled through dielectric! Great job Polyphaser.
K5KH Rating: 2001-01-15
Well Worth the Price Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I am a physicist, so I looked into lightning protection very seriously after some initial poor experiences with products from other vendors. I found Polyphaser to be a very capable and technically expert vendor with high quality products. Their book (The "Grounds" of Lightning and EMP Protection) is an excellent tutorial on lightning protection and available either from their website or sometimes from your local library (or via Interlibrary Loan). Recommended as a resource on this topic.

Their products are first class and high quality, and although I don't know how many strikes I have suffered at this QTH, my equipment is still working perfectly. Products are available for HF, VHF and UHF, as well as rotor cables and antenna switch controllers (I use several from this list and am fully satisfied). I would recommend them to anyone who has real lightning protection problems (both amateur and commercial).