Any pointers on gate opener install to reduce lightning damage?

[wimpy_mule]

I am finally replacing low quality gate openers with Apollos. In the past I've had one operator and four control boards get damaged by lightning. I'd like the new setup to do better.

It is a solar/battery setup, no AC. The steel columns supporting the gate are grounded a well as they can be in rocky soil. I should say rocky rock.

Most people in my neighborhood have the control box mounted very close to the operator and solar panel. I liked the idea of having the control box and solar panel more remote but that may have contributed to my issues.

Suggestions on reducing the chance of lightning damage to the control board?

 

[pcmeiners]

Was a building Engineer, had a big issue with lightning EMF setting off alarms, also on ship board modems/radio equipment getting fried. On tug boats, if there was lightning 20 miles away it would damage equipment
There are transient absorbers, many different kinds. If you add one to each all input/output of the device, especially from the remote lines it should take care of the issue. MOVs are cheap and readily available on Ebay; they are not the fastest acting but handle high pulses. Look up MOV and Transorb .
The wire between the control and the remote could easily pick up a EMF pulse and fry electronics.

 

[wimpy_mule]

Thanks pcmeiners! I do have MOV protection on my solar panels but didn't think about protecting every line in and out of the control box. Excellent suggestion, thanks!

 

[dcg9381]

I don't think so. I've had these fried by inductive currently from lightening several lots away... Only thing I can think of is minimize wire runs.

 

[wimpy_mule]

I know what you mean by lightning strikes down the street effecting you.

This happened about 150 yards from my gate opener:

Of course there could have been a hundred more small strikes on my gate opener but here's the control board MOSFET with its face blown off:

For all of the lightning headaches I've had, I'll try adding more protection this time.

 

[pcmeiners]

With a battery welder, got a bunch of Transorbs to protect MOSFETs


https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr..._sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=TVSS+

Had another issue with EMF from electric freight trains going along a NYC track at night. Had to camp out a couple nights before I found out a freight locomotive was triggering an alarm, MOVs fixed that.

Nice shot of the pole. One time I saw a lightning bolt 100' away blow up a tree stump 4' across, including the roots into a zillion tooth picks, sounded like dynamite going off.

 

[wimpy_mule]

I need to look at specs and figure out what will work then order cheap ones from eBay.