lunarman
LIFE MEMBER
I'll bring extra medication to the Halloween rally for you.Thanks for reminding me John.
It was only last month I finished the therapy sessions.
Atego CAN bus failure during electric storm (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter sallylillian
- Start date
Not sure I can add anything, but waiting for the coffee maker to descale, so...
First off, your MoHo presumably has conducting walls, and so is a Faraday cage. This means that, in principle, everything inside is protected from external EM pulses. It's more complicated than this, though, since the conducting walls are full of holes. The biggest should be your windscreen, at about 1.5 metres. In principle, the internals are then protected from EM radiation with a wavelength significantly greater than 1.5m, and are unprotected from anything with a wavelength significantly shorter, with a grey area around 1.5m. 1.5m corresponds to a frequency of 200MHz. Remember that wavelengths less than 1.5m correspond to frequencies more than 200MHz, and vice-versa.
You can easily check this if you've got an old portable analog radio (I haven't). Try it inside the van, and you should (I hope) find that almost no radio stations can be found (you might get a little reception of the highest frequency FM stations, above 100FM). If you find this, then you should be protected from lightning-induced EM pulses, which are mainly very long wave, with some components all the way up to 300MHz, but with very low energy.
You've actually got 2 problems. The first is the EHU cable, which you must unplug (or put in a surge protector if you're not going to be there).
The second is that you've got a huge wire all over your windscreen, which is outside the van and unprotected. Its length makes the problem worse, and the fuse will very likely not blow quickly enough to protect you against a very fast EM-induced surge. You could add a surge arrestor or, much better, just take out the fuse if you know there's a problem coming. Or maybe one of those windscreen covers that looks like it might be conductive?
On the CAN bus - Ok, it's got long cables, which could potentially have significant currents induced into them (along with all your other long cables). This shouldn't happen if your van actually is functioning as a Faraday cage. If you're still worried, buy some clip-on ferrites (like the ones you probably have behind your TV on the cables), and put one on each cable, or possibly one on each end of the longer cables.
First off, your MoHo presumably has conducting walls, and so is a Faraday cage. This means that, in principle, everything inside is protected from external EM pulses. It's more complicated than this, though, since the conducting walls are full of holes. The biggest should be your windscreen, at about 1.5 metres. In principle, the internals are then protected from EM radiation with a wavelength significantly greater than 1.5m, and are unprotected from anything with a wavelength significantly shorter, with a grey area around 1.5m. 1.5m corresponds to a frequency of 200MHz. Remember that wavelengths less than 1.5m correspond to frequencies more than 200MHz, and vice-versa.
You can easily check this if you've got an old portable analog radio (I haven't). Try it inside the van, and you should (I hope) find that almost no radio stations can be found (you might get a little reception of the highest frequency FM stations, above 100FM). If you find this, then you should be protected from lightning-induced EM pulses, which are mainly very long wave, with some components all the way up to 300MHz, but with very low energy.
You've actually got 2 problems. The first is the EHU cable, which you must unplug (or put in a surge protector if you're not going to be there).
The second is that you've got a huge wire all over your windscreen, which is outside the van and unprotected. Its length makes the problem worse, and the fuse will very likely not blow quickly enough to protect you against a very fast EM-induced surge. You could add a surge arrestor or, much better, just take out the fuse if you know there's a problem coming. Or maybe one of those windscreen covers that looks like it might be conductive?
On the CAN bus - Ok, it's got long cables, which could potentially have significant currents induced into them (along with all your other long cables). This shouldn't happen if your van actually is functioning as a Faraday cage. If you're still worried, buy some clip-on ferrites (like the ones you probably have behind your TV on the cables), and put one on each cable, or possibly one on each end of the longer cables.
Don't worry about the jacks
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funflair
LIFE MEMBER
Go on tell me why, please.Don't worry about the jacks
Assuming as is normally the case the jacks are all connected together by a substantial steel chassis. It is unlikely there would be much potential difference between them and the rest of the MH. Being the best ground available (as far as lightning is concerned) it's likely they would help prevent any static buildup too.
More to the point there are millions of vehicles outside at any one time in the UK and reports of lightning causing EMP damage are notable by their absence. The single most important thing to do is isolate the van from the mains before a severe lightning storm. Definitely don't do it during a lightning storm
.
I'm going to take my chances with my canbuses
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Has the problem been resolved to your satisfaction? Hope so.
OP
OP
sallylillian
LIFE MEMBER
I wish. The last part is on its way from Germany but was too late for the connection at Madrid late Monday. It will be arriving tomorrow at the garage now. They have the Mercedes employed electrician arriving tomorrow too from Lisbon and he will oversee the programming of the modules to link in with the Morelo elements. I have just extended my hotel for 2 nights.
If I get it back tomorrow night, then we will have been in the hotel for 13 nights!
I am however nervous about the result.
I’m concerned no update?
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OP
OP
sallylillian
LIFE MEMBER
A short update. The Mercedes employed electrician was at the workshop Wednesday morning and so were all the parts. We arrived at about 12:15 unannounced to find them just clearing up and about to call me to do a test drive! We went through some stuff and I agreed to come back at 14:30. I refitted the dash, at my request, and they moved some trucks and off we went. All was fine with the test drive so back to the workshop. Sally started a clean up and I tried to get the account sorted. So it was in the yard for the night and we left for Spain in this morning, refreshed after our last night in the hotel! Now all set up at La Bella Vista for a stress less week we hope. There is more to this story and I will do a further update.
Glad you're under way again Michael, disappointing how long it took them but you must both be very relieved.
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i do hope all is well I can only feel for you both ,we wish you all the best .
Not quite in the same league but when I was working on buses we inherited a couple of Volvo buses . Securing the interior light covers the body shop guy drilled into the can link loom. Because we couldn’t even start the engine the boss called in an electrician from Volvo. Our electrician was all set to repair the loom by soldering.
We lost that bus for two months because they had to replace the front to back loom and fit new can bus units to mach the loom.
We lost that bus for two months because they had to replace the front to back loom and fit new can bus units to mach the loom.
Hope all's sorted now and you have no more problems.
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