Lightning Hits Viper FM's Transmitter?

July 16,2010
Lightning Hits Viper FM’s Transmitter?
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-A lightning bolt allegedly hit Viper FM’s transmitter at a time when one early morning thunderstorms and lightnings roared and jolted sleeping people in Maasin and Macrohon areas.
This was disclosed by one of the workers at the Saludo Ice Plant in brgy. Ichon, Macrohon according to a salesboy friend at one of the beach resorts here when I went there one Sunday morning.
The lightning strike happened on the same morning a cogon-roofed resthouse in brgy. Maria Clara here was burned by a passing fireball before hitting a coconut tree nearby that cracked into halves.
Three or four days after I have posted a news story about the newly-launched Viper FM in brgy. Ichon,Macrohon which is 6 kilometers away from Maasin where series of thunderstorms and lightnings roaringly shaken and jolted the surroundings one early morning like big rolling balls creating a sense-surround effects that jolted sleeping people in the vicinities of the city and the nearby places.
The following day Viper FM radio listeners could no longer hear its variety of songs being played on the airwaves. Speculations started cropping up particularly from the listeners that it was probably hit by a lightning like what happened to a resthouse in brgy.Maria Clara.
Other listeners who knew that former Congressman Anecito Saludo,Sr. has lost in his bid for the congressional seat during the first automation polls on May 10,2010,alleged that the disappearance of Viper FM songs/music on the air has something to do with his defeat.
However, many music lovers did not believe in the allegation because the Congressman and his son who managed the music station have another purpose why the family has decided to open a radio station where songs and music programs have a huge part of its existence.
That is to provide variety of songs and instrumental pieces to radio listeners in Southern Leyte and to its neighboring places of Surigao, Bohol, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin Island, part of Northern Leyte and probably part of Cebu province for musical entertainment of music lovers.
On the other hand, this is the first time that I heard a radio transmitter hit by a lightning strike. In Alaska, Mambaling, CebuCity where I have resided for about two years in the past, there were 5 or 6 AM radio transmitters erected on the shallow part of the seabed. These transmitters were protected by elevated concrete foundations that would be soaked during high tide, almost reaching the transmitters’ bases. This condition was also similar to DXDD’s transmitter in Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental (my second home-hello! To my cousins, kith and kins there)) that was also erected on a shallow seabed in brgy.Malaubang which is less than two kilometers away from the city proper.
The main reason why most radio transmitters are placed or constructed on shallow seabeds,is because, according to the information/explanation that I’ve gathered, it will increase the transmitters’ powerful signals and can reached farther places. In contrast, a radio transmitter or transmitters that were erected on low dry grounds have lesser distance of coverage. That’s why the more technical men who managed radio stations have preferred to construct their towers (transmitters) on wet and higher grounds.
There were also some occasions when thunderstorms and lightnings have manifested in Cebu’ s vicinities that similarly roared and jolted some folks creating fear of the nature’s wrath, that might strike anytime.
But I have not seen or witnessed a radio transmitter in Alaska, Mambaling that was hit by a lightning during bad and gloomy weather.Yes; it’s always possible that a tree, a house or a lone man in the open field was hit by its powerful electrical discharge.
One stormy gloomy afternoon with the sky covered with thick black clouds hovering on the horizon of brgy.Molicay,Ozamis City ,4 field workers riding on carabaos in the open ricefield suddenly dropped on the ground when a lightning strike passed by them.
Folks nearby who saw them like dead rushed the victims to the hospital for an emergency treatment. NO-one h as died. They all survived.
The attending physician who received and treated them explained to the victims’ close kins that the lightning’s electrical discharge had just passed near them.”Hitting them directly with a lightning will make them all dead”, the doctor declared.”They are still fortunate that it’s not a direct hit”.
Which regards to a radio transmitter, it is true that there is such an invention as an anti-lightning rod? If this gadget really exists, did not Congressman Saludo and his son Chito consider installing it on their FM’s transmitter? Did the management of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) forget to advise Viper FM’s owner to install an anti-lightning rod on their radio transmitter?
How about an existing AM radio station here in Maasin, the DYDM, which is owned by the Catholic’s Diocese of Maasin (covering under its jurisdiction from up in Baybay, Leyte and down to Southern Leyte’s last town of Silago) has existed for almost 20 years now, but I did not hear any news report that its transmitter erected on the low dry ground near the radio station has been hit by a lightning strike.
This despite of the fact that there were already more occasions during bad weather when thunderstorms and lightnings have manifested their powerful roars and jolts with accompanying heavy rains.
Because of this occurrence that wrought havoc to a music station in brgy. Ichon, Macrohon including allegedly its modern equipments installed inside the radio booth, I was urged to ask a licensed radio operator who was working at DYDM during the previous years, but is now working at the Saint Joseph College.
According to Jun Saratan, a copper with connection on the ground, when attached at the highest point of a radio transmitter would become an anti-lightning rod, which would protect it from lightning strike. However, installing the anti-lightning rod is not enough. Another invention that needs to be installed in wire connections (isingsing ra na ,a Cebuano sentence from the licensed radio operator on how a “pyrite soap” should be placed along the wire connection), from near the power source towards the transmitter, and from near the power source towards the direction to the radio station, are the so-called “pyrite soap”.
He explained that the “pyrite soap” installation in two or three wire connections is very essential, as this invention will block the flow of electrical discharge from a lightning strike in either ways-if the power source was hit by lightning bolt during inclement weather, thus minimizing the damage brought about by the lightning strike.
When asked if “pyrite soaps” are available in the Philippines, he said that this invention is only available in Germany and in the USA. He said he knew the primary importance of including this blocking gadget in all AM and FM stations from a German expert who conducted a seminar about “pyrite soap” at radio station DZRH in Manila several years ago on the importance of installing “pyrite soap” in wire connections in all existing radio stations in the country.
Saratan further implied his new knowledge has helped him in protecting DYDM where he was previously employed as a licensed radio operator for several years before transferring to SJC, from any lightning strike that might hit DYDM’s source of power.

Luckily, when I went to the provincial hospital lately, I saw him (Chito Saludo) hurriedly opening the door of the hospital’s private room with two heavy bags full of personal belongings slung on both of his shoulders. He was there, he told me, because his pregnant wife was under labor and has just given birth to their baby. They were leaving the hospital at the time we’ve met.
I asked him how true that Viper FM’s transmitter was hit by a lightning. He informed that the music station’s transmitter was safe and that what was hit by the lightning strike was the power source (transformer) installed by SOLECO’s linemen.
He clarified that the electrical discharge ran through the connecting wires and towards the transmitter erected atop a hill, not far from the station, and damaged some of its parts. The equipments inside the radio station itself, he said, were not affected by the lightning strike. He said that they have planned to repair the damaged transmitter next month, that is sometime in August. How many weeks will it takes to repair the damaged transmitter? Chito did not give me the approximation. But before he would decide to repair the damaged transmitter, it would be prudent for Chito Saludo to talk to Jun Saratan at the Saint Joseph College in Maasin for more details on the importance of installing also “pyrite soaps” on FM’s wire connections to prevent a repeat of the sad incident.Jun Saratan further said that the damaged transformer can still be repaired thru rewinding procedure to economize buying a new replacement. Music lovers shall have just to try to tune in their radios sometime in September or October to see if Viper FM on 106.1 MHz is already back on air. If not yet, maybe the ordering of the “pyrite soaps” in either the USA or Germany will take a long time to accomplish (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)