Lightning Arresters - Surge Arresters.

[LeoG]

Thought I was asking a simple question, Which way does it suppose to go in, is what I asked tech support at Buy Two Way Radios.  I got back an answer of it doesn't matter which way.

Then I sent him their own specs on the buy page and it said this:

 

This prompted him to ask others about this and as it turns out there is a specific direction that the lightning arrester is suppose to go.  On this particular one, and likely others the longer threaded side with the nut goes towards the antenna and is called the protected side.  The surge side goes towards the radio and has the shorter threaded section.

No where in the specs does it say which way it goes and I really haven't found anything online that states the direction either.  I found something in a picture that showed the long side going towards the antenna but it called both sides the protected side.

The said they will be making a video on lightning arresters and their installation.

 

I am such a trouble maker...

 

 

Protected side towards antenna

 

 

Surge side towards radio

 

[SteveShannon]

13 minutes ago, LeoG said:

Thought I was asking a simple question, Which way does it suppose to go in, is what I asked tech support at Buy Two Way Radios.  I got back an answer of it doesn't matter which way.

Then I sent him their own specs on the buy page and it said this:

 

This prompted him to ask others about this and as it turns out there is a specific direction that the lightning arrester is suppose to go.  On this particular one, and likely others the longer threaded side with the nut goes towards the antenna and is called the protected side.  The surge side goes towards the radio and has the shorter threaded section.

No where in the specs does it say which way it goes and I really haven't found anything online that states the direction either.  I found something in a picture that showed the long side going towards the antenna but it called both sides the protected side.

The said they will be making a video on lightning arresters and their installation.

 

I am such a trouble maker...

 

 

Protected side towards antenna

 

 

Surge side towards radio

 

If you take it apart you’ll see that electrically it doesn’t matter. It’s really just a gas tube perpendicular to the center conductor of the feed line.
Mechanically, having the long side towards the antenna makes it easier to mount in a bracket with the antenna connector convenient to unscrew. 

[LeoG]

And yet they have names for the separate sides.  What do I know.  I was asking what I thought was a simple question.  And now there's a video gonna be made because of it. LOL

[SteveShannon]

12 minutes ago, LeoG said:

And yet they have names for the separate sides.  What do I know.  I was asking what I thought was a simple question.  And now there's a video gonna be made because of it. LOL

If it’s one with both a gas tube and a blocking cap then yes it might be directional. 
Here’s a datasheet for a polyphasor with just a gas tube.  Note that it says bidirectional:

https://www.polyphaser.com/Images/Downloadables/Datasheets/103-0324A-A_datasheets_US.pdf

Here’s a datasheet for one with the gas tube and cap. It’s also bi-directional.

https://www.polyphaser.com/Images/Downloadables/Datasheets/098-1013G-A_datasheets_US.pdf
 

Here’s a link to a directional one:

https://www.polyphaser.com/Images/Downloadables/Datasheets/RRX4025A_datasheets_US.pdf