:File With REA : 

:Bulletin 345-83:

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Electrification Administration

October 7, 1982

PEN AND INK REVISION OF REA SPECIFICIFICATION PE-80

SUBJECT: REA Specification for Gas Tube

Surge Arresters

In paragraph 4.26 the impulse transverse voltage maximum value of

50 volts line to line should read 100 volts line to line. It is 

possible for multielectrode tubes to have two gaps in the glow mode 

which will result in a line to line voltage of 100 volts or less 

after one (1) millisecond.

Please make the following pen and ink changes to paragraph 4.26 and 

Figure 1 as follows:

Change line to line voltage to 100 volts in both cases.

Jack Van Mark

Acting Administrator

RD-GD-1979-05

Disclaimer: The contents of this guidance document does not have the force 

and effect of law and is not meant to bind the public in any way. This 

document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding 

existing requirements under the law or agency policies.

Disclaimer: The contents of this guidance document does not have the 

force and effect of law and is not meant to bind the public in any 

way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public 

regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Electrification Administration

July 1979

REA BULLEITN 345-83

SUBJECT: REA Specification PE-80 for

 Gas Tube Surge Arresters

I. Purpose: To announce the issuance of a new REA Specification for 

Gas Tube Surge Arresters.

II. General: This specification covers requirements for multielectrode gas tube surge arresters used to protect ccmmmications circuits and equipments from damages due to foreign 

voltages and currents. It replaces PE-55, REA Specification for

Two-Electrode Gas Tube Protectors and PE-56, REA Specification 

for Three-Electrode Gas Tube Protectors.

This specification becomes effective April 4, 1980. All gas 

tube surge arresters furnished for REA projects bid or on orders 

placed by REA borrowers after that date shall comply in all 

respects with the new REA Specification PE-80.

III. Availability of Specification: Copies of the new PE-80 will be 

furnished by REA upon request. Questions concerning the new 

specification may be referred to the Chief, Outside Plant Branch, 

Telephone Operations and Standards Division, Rural Electrification Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, 

D.C. 20250, telephone number 202-447-3827.

Acting Assistant Administrator - Telephone

Index:

SPECIFICATIONS:

Gas Tube Surge Arresters
REA Specification for

GAS TUBE SURGE ARRESTERS

1. GENERAL

2. SAMPLE LOT SIZE AND SELECTION

3. ARRESTER CLASSIFICATION

4. REQUIREMENTS

5. MANUFACTURING QUALITY ASSURANCE

6. PRODRUCT IDENTIFICATION

Figure 1
REA BULLETIN 345-83

PE-80

JULY 1979

UNITED STATES DEPARIMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Electrification Administration

REA SPECIFICATION FOR GAS TUBE SURGE ARRESTERS

1. GENERAL

1.1 This document specifies REA requirements for gas tube surge

 arresters, defined as: "A gap, or series of gaps, in an enclosed 

discharge medium, other than air at atmospheric pressure, designed to 

protect apparatus or personnel, or both, from high transient voltages." 

This document does not specify requirements applicable to complete protectors, nor does it specify total requirements for arresters employed

within electronic devices where precise coordination between arrester 

performance and device withstand capability is highly critical.

1.2 Except as noted herein, testing shall be accomplished in accordance

 with the procedures set forth in IEEE Standard 465.1, 1977 "Test

Specification for Gas Tube Surge-Protective Devices," hereinafter referred 

to as IEEE 465.1.

1.21 This document is organized as follows:

1.211 General information, such as failure criteria or sample selection,

 applicable to more than one test.

1.212 Detailed information applicable to a single test.

1.3 For the purpose of this specification, failure modes or end of life

 shall be as defined in IEEE 456.1, Paragraph 4.16 except as supplemented below:

1.31 Short Circuit Failure Mode: In this mode, the arrester shall

 become permanently short circuited and shall have an impedance of

not more than one ohm.

1.32 Low Breakdown Failure Mode: In this mode, the arrester shall have

 a dc breakdown of less than that shown for the low voltage mode in

Table A.

1.33 High Breakdown Failure Mode: In this mode, an arrester shall have

 dc or impulse breakdown in excess of any of the high voltage mode

values shown in Table A.

1.34 Low Insulation Resistance Failure Mode: As defined in IEEE 465.1.
- 2 - 

TABLE A - BREAKDOWN FAILURE LIMITS* VOLTS**

BREAKDOWN FAILURE MODES

LOW VOLTAGE HIGH VOLTAGE

Rise Time of Breakdown <100 V/sec. <100 V/sec. 100 V/sec. Voltage Test Waveform

Primary Use “DC” “DC” IMPULSE

Special Low Voltage AS REQUIRED BY APPLICATION Protection

Station, MDF or General 180 600 900 Purpose Protection

Cable Protection 250 1200 1500

*Line-to-Ground Measurements Only

**These values serve to indicate end of life after high energy testing.

Acceptable limits for new tubes are covered in Tables B & C.

2. SAMPLE LOT SIZE AND SELECTIION

2.1 A minimum of 150 end-product samples (previously untested except for

 routine production tests) shall be selected at random from at least

three production batches. Prior to the performance of any measurements, 

these units shall be numbered such that an approximately equal number of 

samples from each batch are used for each test.

2.2 DC Breakdown Voltage, Capacitance, Insulation Resistance, and

 Impulse Breakdown Voltage measurements described herein shall be 

performed for all 150 samples. 

2.3 Those samples numbered 26 through 75 will then be subjected to the

 DC Holdover test; and the first time effect will be determined for 

samples 76 through 100. In the case of multielectrode arresters, Impulse 

Transverse Voltage will be measured utilizing samples 1 through 25.

2.4 Upon completion of the measurements describe above, units numbered

 1 through 50 will be subjected to and classified under the Impulse
- 3 -

Life test, 51 through 100 shall be tested to determine Maximum AC 

Discharge Current, and 101 through 150 shall be tested to determine the 

Maximum Single Impulse Discharge classification.

2.5 In the case of the Maximum Single Impulse Discharge and AC

 Discharge Current Tests, 50 samples shall be subjected to the 

current level (Light, Medium, Heavy or Maximum) claimed by the manufacturer and described by Table E.

2.6 All test data shall be furnished to REA. Where applicable,

 histograms, probability plots, etc., may be included at the

manufacturer's option. If desired, REA may witness the sample

selection and measurement procedure.

3. ARRESTER CLASSIFICATION

3.1 Devices which are accepted by REA shall be classified in accordance

 with Paragraph 4.3 as light, medium, heavy, or maximum duty depending on their performance in the categories of Impulse Life, Maximum 

Single Impulse Discharge and AC Discharge Current Carrying Capacity.

4. REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Requirements are divided into two main categories as follows:

a. General Requirements.

b. Requirements for classifying as light, medium, heavy, or

 maximum duty.

4.2 General Requirements

4.21 DC Breakdown Voltage: For tubes which have not been subjected 

 to high energy tests, the plus and minus three sigma values of

dc breakdown voltage for a given polarity shall be within the limits 

shown in Table B when measured in accordance with Paragraph 4.1 of 

IEEE 465.1.Further, the average value shall be greater than the 

Minimum Average shown in Table B. A series of 5 breakdowns of each 

polarity shall be measured for each sample.

4.22 Capacitance: The capacitance of the tube shall be measured in

 accordance with Paragraph 4.2 of IEEE 465.1. The capacitance 

of any tube shall not exceed 5 pf when measured at either 1 kHz or

1 MHz.

4.23 Insulation Resistance: Insulation resistance shall be measured 

 in accordance with Paragraph 4.3 of IEEE 465.1, using 100 Vdc for

tubes having a nominal dc breakdown of 230 V or more and 50 Vdc for tubes 

having a nominal dc breakdown of less than 230 volts. Insulation resistance shall be greater than 100 megohms.
- 4 - 

TABLE B - ACCEPTABLE LIMITS DC BREAKDOWN - VOLTS

Primary Use

(ALL TUBES)

Line-to-Ground

Multi-Electrode Tubes 

Line-to-Line

-3σ

Value

Minimum

Average

+3σ

Value

-3σ

Value

+3σ

Value

Special Low Voltage

 Protection AS REQUIRED BY APPLICATION

Station, MDF or General

 Purpose Protection 300 350 500 300 1000

Cable Protection 510 - 1000 510 1200

4.24 Impulse Breakdown Voltage: The plus and minus 3σ values of impulse

 breakdown voltage of tubes which have not been exposed to high 

energy surges when measured in accordance with Paragraph 4.4 of IEEE 465.1, 

shall be within the ranges specified in Table C. Further, the average 

value shall be less than the Maximum Average shown in Table C. A series of

5 breakdowns of each polarity, and each rate of rise shall be measured for 

each sample.

TABLE C - ACCEPTABLE LIMITS IMPULSE BREAKDOWN - VOLTS

Primary Use

100 V/μs Rise 

Line-to-Ground

10 kV/μs Rise 

Line-to-Ground

-3σ

Value

Maximum

Average

+3σ

Value

-3σ

Value

Maximum

Average

+3σ

Value

Special Low Voltage

 Protection AS REQUIRED BY APPLICATION

Station, MDF or General

 Purpose Protection

300 600 750 300 1000 1200

Cable Protection 510 - 1200 510 - 1600

4.241 Values for line-to-line impulse breakdown voltage of multi-electrode

 devices shall be no greater than twice those given for line-toground in Table C.
- 5 -

4.25 Holdover: The extinguishing voltage of the arresters shall be

 greater than shown in Table D at 200 mA when tested in accordance 

with IEEE 465.1, Paragraphs 4.9 or 4.10 employing a 500A 10 x·1000 μs 

current wave across each gap in lieu of the IEEE recommended 100A

10 x 1000. The tubes shall extinguish in 150 milliseconds or less.

4.251 Prior to testing, samples 26 to 50 shall be subjected to a 

 total of 5% of the Impulse Life test requirement of Table E:

testing 12 samples in one polarity and the remaining 13 in the opposite 

polarity.

4.252 Two-electrode tubes shall be tested in accordance with Para-

 graph 4.9 of IEEE 465.1 using the recommended values for C1 and 

R2 of Figure 4. Samples shall be subdivided, and tests run using surge 

and power supply polarities as follows:

Samples

26 - 31 and 51 - 56

32 - 37 and 57 - 62

38 - 43 and 63 - 68

44 - 50 and 69 - 75

Surge Polarity

+

+

Power Supply Polarity

+

+

4.253 Three-electrode tubes shall be tested in accordance with Para-

 graph 4.10 of IEEE 465.1 using the recommended values for R3,

R4, R5, and C1, C2, and C3 of Figure 5. Samples shall be subdivided and 

tests run using surge polarities and power supply (PS) voltages and 

polarities as follows:

Samples

Station, MDF or

General Purpose

Protection

26–37 and 51-62

38-43 and 63-68

44-50 and 69-75

Cable Carrier

Protection

26 - 75

PS Voltage

 75

 150

 150

 150

PS Polarities

Opposite

Same, Line +

Same, Line +

Opposite

Surge Polarity

+

+

+
 - 6 -

TABLE D - DC HOLDOVER REQUIREMENTS – VOLTS

*When Line-to-Line potential exceeds 130 V peak, carrier protection is

applicable.

4.26 Impulse Transverse Voltage: When multielectrode devices which have

 not been subjected to high energy surges are tested in accordance

with IEEE 465.1, Paragraph 4.12, a line-to-line voltage not exceeding 

the arrester's +3σ impulse breakdown at 100 V/μs per Table C may exist 

for not more than 5 μs. At the end of 5 μs, the line-to-line voltage 

shall be reduced to a value not greater than the arrester's +3σ dc

breakdown, per Table B, and after 1 millisecond the line-to-line voltage

shall not exceed 50 V, as shown in Figure 1. Any voltage in excess of 

this volt-time curve shall be considered a failure.

4.27 First Time Effect: When tested in accordance with Paragraph 4.271,

 arresters shall meet the Impulse Breakdown requirements of Paragraph 4.24 and DC breakdown requirements of Paragraph 4.21.

4.271 Arresters to be tested shall be encased in light excluding

 material so that no external light reaches the gas tube. This

covering shall remain in place for the full test duration. Tests of dc

and impulse breakdown shall be made in accordance with Paragraphs 4.21 

and 4.24 and the results recorded. The devices shall then be stored for 

not less than 30 days in an unenergized condition. At the end of the 

storage period, one line-to-ground gap of each sample shall be subjected

to one test of impulse breakdown at 100 V/μs or dc breakdown. Both 

impulse and dc breakdown in each polarity shall be measured however, 25% 

of the sample lot shall be used for each test condition.

4.28 Mechanical Reliability: The manufacturer shall demonstrate to

 REA's satisfaction that its product has sufficient mechanical

ruggedness to withstand normal installation and maintenance procedures 

as well as shipping and storage and that production testing is such as 

to preclude the failure of arresters from normal mechanical stresses 

experienced in routine storage and use of the device.

Primary Use

(Multi-Electrode Tubes) 

Line-to-Line

(AllTubes) 

Line-to-Ground

Special Low Voltage AS REQUIRED BY APPLICATION

Station, MDF or General 

Purpose Protection* 150 150

Cable Carrier Protection 300 150
- 7 - 

Test/Paragraph Light Medium Heavy Maximum

 Maximum Single Impulse Discharge ≥5 kA ≥5 kA ≥10 kA ≥20 kA Current* Per Paragraph 4.31

Impulse Life Per Paragraph 4.32 ≥10** ≥100 ≥400 ≥1000

AC Discharge Current* Per ≥10A ≥2OA ≥65A ≥200A

 Paragraph 4.33

4.3 Requirements for Classifying Tubes: Arresters shall be classified 

 as light, medium, heavy, or maximum duty depending on their performance in categories of impulse life, maximum single impulse and 60 Hz 

current carrying capacity. The protector(s} in which the arrester is 

mounted for testing shall be identified and the classification shall apply 

only when utilized in that/those protector(s}. Table E sets forth the 

requirements for determination of this classification. Tests for failure 

by low insulation resistance, low or high dc breakdown, and both polarities of high impulse breakdown (100 V/μs) failure modes shall be conducted, in that order, after each Maximum Single Impulse Discharge Current

Test, Impulse Life Test, and AC Discharge Current Test, utilizing the 

failure modes defined in Paragraph 1.3 of this specification. Note: Tests 

of dc and impulse breakdown may each consist of a single, low energy, 

firing, rather than the more elaborate procedures required in Paragraphs

4.21 and 4.24.

TABLE E - CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA

*Values of Current are given on a per line-to-ground gap basis. Multielectrode devices shall be tested (with the given current value in each

line-to-ground gap, and the total current) equally distributed between 

gaps.

**At 50A 10/1000 μs, life as per Paragraph 4.32 must equal or exceed 

200 surges. One half of the allotted samples will be tested at 5OOA, 

the remainder of 50A.

4.31 The device shall be tested for Maximum Single Impulse in accordance

 with IEEE 465.1, Paragraph 4.5, employing the 8 x 20 μs current

waveshape. A failure rate of not more than 6% shall be considered 

acceptable.

4.32 The device shall be tested for Impulse Life in accordance with 

 IEEE 465.1, Paragraph 4.6 employing the 10 x 1000 μs waveshape at 

+ and -500A* crest current. A 20% failure rate, shall be considered 

acceptable, however, not more than 6% of the samples may fail at less 

than half the specified number of impulses. Half the samples shall be 

tested in one polarity and the remainder in the opposite polarity. Tests

*For light duty tubes, see note on Table E.
- 8 -

for failure by low insulation resistance, low dc breakdown and high 

impulse breakdown (100 V/μs) failure modes shall be conducted, in that 

order, after every strike of the life test.

4.33 The device shall be tested for AC Discharge Current in accordance

 with Paragraph 4.7 of IEEE 465.1, employing a current discharge

time of 11 cycles of 60 Hz. A failure rate of not more than 6% shall be

considered acceptable.

5. MANUFACTURING QUALITY ASSURANCE

5.1 Manufacturers are required to perform tests which will assure that

 the gas tubes comply with the requirements of this specification

on a production basis.

5.11 Every arrester supplied to REA borrowers shall be subjected to at

 least one impulse breakdown of each polarity at not less than

100 V/μs rate of rise and shall not be outside the 3σ values shown in 

Table C for 100 V/μs rise.

6. PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION

6.1 Color Codes: Each gas tube and arrester assembly shall be marked 

 in a clear, permanent and distinctive manner to indicate the category of intended application. Those intended for special low voltage 

applications shall be distinguished by a green color, those employed for 

station, MDF or general purpose use shall employ orange, and arresters 

designed for cable protection shall be color coded slate. In each case 

a dot, stripe, or similar means of marking shall be employed.

6.2 Manufacturer's Identification: On each tube the manufacturer's

 name and part number and date code shall be indelibly marked.
 - 9 -

ACCEPTABLE LIMITS FOR IMPULSE TRANSVERSE VOLTAGE TEST

MAXIMUM ACCEPTABLE TIME

FIGURE 1