Powering up puzzle

[MonkeeRench]

With the power switch off at the controller, when I plug in the USB power supply, all the LEDs seem to go thru test-blinking, then the Power and Mode LEDs remain on, just as they are when I turn on the power switch.  The red LED on the connected E-Field pre-amp board is also always lit.
Confused -- shouldn't the power switch shut off everything?

[kevinmcc]

That should not happen if the switch is correctly connected.

The jumper should be removed from pins 5&6 and the switch will then connect them.

Note the pins with thicker red lines in lower left corner of the board layout.

http://www.blitzortung.org/Compendium/Ha..._3_brd.png

[MonkeeRench]

That should not happen if the switch is correctly connected.

The jumper should be removed from pins 5&6 and the switch will then connect them.

Note the pins with thicker red lines in lower left corner of the board layout.

http://www.blitzortung.org/Compendium/Ha..._3_brd.png

Thanks, Kevin, that worked like a charm!  I really appreciate this forum in filling in the blanks of documentation that somehow eludes me.  Another puzzle is on the layout of 19.3b which does not show the "Power" thru-holes where I connected the external switch discussed.

[kevinmcc]

Are these the instructions you were using?

http://en.blitzortung.org/Compendium/Doc...B_20_1.pdf

Not sure what you mean by power thru-holes.

[MonkeeRench]

On my PCB 19.3b board (Sep. 2016), next to the pre-installed USB socket are two thru-hole pads labeled "Power", to which I connected my external power switch. On the layout I see no such thru-holes, only a single unlabeled symbol in the vicinity of the USB and the 5-6 header terminals.

[kevinmcc]

Must be an undocumented revision. Maybe on of the Devs can let us know?

[DelandeC]

On 19.3b, you have to close jumpers 5 and 6 to power up the all system.
Jumpers 1 and 2 have to be closed also to power the pre amplifier boards.

http://fr.blitzortung.org/Compendium/Har..._3_brd.png
http://fr.blitzortung.org/Compendium/Har..._3_sch.pdf

[allsorts]

Close. B-)

Short pins 5 and 6 of the S1 jumper block to apply power to the system.
Short pins 1 and 2 to provide +5 V to the E-field preamp.
Short pins 3 and 4 to provide +3.3 V to the E-field preamp.
Leave 1 and 2, 3 and 4 open to not power the E-field preamp.

Bad things are likely to happen is you short 1 and 2 at the same time as 3 and 4 or short pins 1 and 3 as doing so connects the +5 V rail to the +3.3 V rail...

The H-field pre-amp is powered directly from the + 5 V rail so is on when ever the system is powered up.

[kevinmcc]

I still think they should add a protection diode to the 3.3 V rail.

[BobW]

I still think they should add a protection diode to the 3.3 V rail.

You are right. Nice shot nearby and the 3.3 volt rail is going high. There's a choke and a cap that will help keep it down -spike smoothed by choke, and eaten by cap. Same deal with 8 pin to amp except it's direct connected to +5, so what comes in gets on +5

Coax  - Blitzortung or otherwise (CATV, Satellite, etc) - should go to ground block bonded to building electrical ground, and a surge suppressor can't hurt. Like this:

https://www.3starinc.com/dual_port_coaxi...26fd6%3D32
https://www.3starinc.com/f_male_to_f_fem...ector.html
 
Same deal with the 4 pair to the preamp. Somthing like this. Be aware I've ordered one, and will be looking inside it to see if all 4 pairs have diodes and what kind. Nasty post on Amazon if it's crap. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UYX...UTF8&psc=1