Lightning struck, studio damaged... what now?

Hi,

Yesterday during a session in my studio, the house next to our studio was hit by a lightning. It blew a hole in the roof and burned out the electrical wiring of my neighbours house. At the same moment we got a burst of this in our studio, blewing up computers, and some more equipment.
I had a talk to my insurance company and I'm covered for all the damage, not for the loss of incomes as a result of the downtime (no complaints, I'm already happy the gear will be replaced). I also have asked for a period of time to evaluate what will happen to gear what seems well working right now, but what could be hit and go probably bad over the coming months...

I'm still trying to get sound out of the speakers but so far not much happens... I first need to get my hostPC for the DAW back working, a new PSU didn't bring it back so far. As soon as the DAW can be connected I can check the AD-DA and console, outboards, harddrives, ...

Any thoughts and idea's on how to handle this situation best?

I'm having a good sight of this situation, but want to be prepared as much as possible for problems what might be overlooked.

usually anything with any kind of inductor or coil like speakers, tubes, EQ etc is very likely damaged. One of the major problems with lighting is the high energy static that accompanies it. This static pretty much sees any coil as an antenna and usually following this path to ground.

I should know I've had this happen to both the studio and a truck I owned. The truck was near a tree that got hit and EVERY coil in the truck died. the starter, the alternator, the coil for the sparkplugs, the speakers and so on.

It's been my experience that if it didn't go bad during the strike it probably won't go bad anytime soon, but check for even the smallest oscillations and bad sound.

I would check any and every capacitor you can check as well.


good luck!

Thanks guys,

The PC's mobo is dead, all harddrives keep spinning as normal.
Still no sound, so no possibilities to verify other equipment.
I'm having a computerwizzard over tomorrow to hook up a new pc and see what happens.
Also a gtramp died, no fuses blown here, but valves (trannies?) look gone...

Do you know of a tool what can measure capacitors without having to unsolder them? I heard someone talking about something like this while ago. I'm not sure if it is possible at all... I mean in a circuit, you'll always measure the influence of the other components around the capacities?

Damn that sucks... sorry man.
It's my worst fear... next to fire & theft.

:sad:

I had a strike back when the 286 was King (lol). It welded the cards to the motherboard, and fried my phone lines and phone, but fortunately didn't burn us down. The strike hit a well head in the side yard (farm house). Now, I buy full sine wave ups with high value replacement coverage on the protection. That plus my owners insurance might cover things. You can also get whole house protection from most utility providers. It's pretty heavy duty protection.
Old fashioned lightning rods still work for structural hits.
Hope you come out of it ok.
mrc

I'm really sorry -- but glad you're okay and the house didn't burn down.

First thing, I think, is to go rent a computer and use it to back up everything on every hard drive you own, onto brand-new hard drives.

Then start pulling cards out of the old computer and try them in the new. Hope for the best...but expect the worst. If the mobo went under probably the cards will have too.

Your power amplifier is probably toast, and I expect the trannies in the guitar amp are too.

Peace,
Paul

Dat is serieuze pech,

Ik hoop dat je toch nog veel spullen kan redden.

[quote author="tony dB"]The PC's mobo is dead, all harddrives keep spinning as normal.[/quote]
Lightning can be very strange. I fixed a lightning-damaged computer a couple of years ago. The modem and monitor was damaged - all the other parts worked...

Do you know of a tool what can measure capacitors without having to unsolder them? I heard someone talking about something like this while ago.

Click to expand...

This one should be good - I haven't tested it myself.

http://www.peakelec.co.uk/acatalog/jz_esr60.html

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen

thanks for the reactions and sympathy!

After a long day of trying to get a computer ready to test all the rest of the studioequipment, we found out a second connected to the network (switched of) computer also died. mobo's and processors fried.
Keep you posted.

Will check that capacitytester MCS, cheers or the link!

(edit: spelling)

Hmm Tony, dit is verre van leuk :sad: Ja, ik hoop ook dat je het snel weer in de lucht krijgt, succes,

Peter

bedankt Peter.

I am starting to infer that regardless of equipment power lightning can damage even equip thats turned off. Is this true. Does a star ground help to avoid equipment damage?

we have massive earthing circuit running around (underneat the fundaments) the house and studio. Together with this earthpins going 7 meter deep at 4 spots, all star-connected together with the loop.
When the electricitycompany sended the guy to measure the earthing, he told me he needed to come back because his equipment (megger?) was damaged :grin: , he never saw or measured a place this well earthed.
Nevertheless, while this helps a lot to keep audio clean and reducing noise in gtramps, I didn't save my studiogear.

Even a computer what was switched of died. It is true that equipment doesn't have to be switched on. Most of the neighbourhood has fried modems too.

had the insurrance people in just an hour ago... asked the damage specialist if there's anything to prevent this in the future. His experience shows that you can't tell if any of the solutions, to prevent strikes, work. Sometimes you get no damage (what also happens without those tools) and other times gear dies... It wouldn't hurt of course, but the insurrance companies don't care at all it seems. Nor would they reduce the fee you pay or participate in the cost to install protection... Strange world. You get reduction if you have a swimming pool in the backyard, as this would diminish the risk of total loss in case of a fire, keeping lightning of your mains isn't considered worth talking about. Economics before safety I'm afraid.