That damage looks "appropriate" considering the occasion. I assume that the coil of copper tubing seen in the wreckage was once part of the tuning network. Looks like the EMF in the lightning just literally sucked the coil together. I have worked on several station's ATU's after a lightning hit and am reminded each time of the force generated by a lightning bolt. G3 and G4 mica capacitors were vaporized-all that was left were the end plates. The edge wound inductors were sucked together like a slinky. The thermocouple base current meter was nowhere to be seen except for the two brass bolts that used to connect to it.
I built and still maintain a 6 tower 50kw site that, when we built it, installed a "cage" at the top of each tower (260') and after 13 years, have never suffered a direct hit that damaged anything in the ATU or tuning houses. I've been inside the transmitter building during storms and have occasionally heard a few "snaps" from inside the phasor during thunderstorms, but nothing that appeared (or sounded like) a direct hit. Like Bill's site, we also have a Harris DX-50 as the main, and the only thing that's happened to the transmitter in 13+ years is a few VSWR trips during storms.
When we built it, we used all state of the art techniques, perimeter straps, 120 1/2 wave radials for each tower, etc. Aside from needing to replace a few contacts from the ATU contactors, so far at least, lightning has not caused any serious damage or taken the station off the air.
Geez, I hope I haven't spooked it now.
.....I'm getting too old and fat to climb around that much any more.
73
Ted W8IXY
