Cheapest source of EN standards?

pc1966 · Apr 19, 2024

I was wondering what is the cheapest option to get a (legitimate) copy of the EN standards, such as IEC/EN 62305 on lightening protection?

I vaguely remember someone pointing out that the BS EN details are basically the same as the rest of the EU, and all derived from the IEC. So rather than pay the best part of £1k for the set of 4 to BSI (WTF? why not just one publication per topic?), it is possible to get them elsewhere in the EU, in English, from the equivalent national body.

Anyone know which country is most cost effective? Something in the back of my mind is thinking it was ones of the Estonia/Lithuania/Latvia set, but I can't seem to find where that was posted now.

TL;DR: EN standards, in English, cheaper than BSI?

Vortigern · Apr 19, 2024

Hi PC1966, maybe you could pm me re the above.

Julie. · Apr 19, 2024

If you just want a look rather than permanent copies you can always get them for free from the IET library.

I have done that several times in the past

pc1966 · Apr 20, 2024

It might be worth looking at the IET library, but a cursory search did not show the standard appearing in the results.

I found this at very reasonable price:

EVS-EN 62305-1:2011

Protection against lightning - Part 1: General principles

www.evs.ee

However, they have paper versions for parts 1, 2, and 4, but not part 3 for some odd reason. That is only in PDF form and comes with sh*tty DRM making it practically useless to me (can't copy & paste, works only on certain platforms, etc) so the paper version is a lot better. It is available in paper from from BSI (almost 10 times price!) so it is not like it cannot be printed for any technical reason.

Robson689 · Apr 20, 2024

I can send you the documents tomorrow in PDF format if that’s good for you

pc1966 · Apr 20, 2024

Robson689 said:
I can send you the documents tomorrow in PDF format if that’s good for you

Thanks!

Just PM me with any details.

Julie. · Apr 21, 2024

pc1966 said:
It might be worth looking at the IET library, but a cursory search did not show the standard appearing in the results.

You can request anything, they get it in from another library, doesn't even have to be related to electrical (or mechanical now they're with us)

Rockingit · Apr 21, 2024

Not strictly speaking what you're asking for, but Furse do a really comprehensive guide on the subject - I've had my copy for several years now but at the time it was free.

Rockingit · Apr 21, 2024

[ElectriciansForums.net] Cheapest source of EN standards?

136 pages of usefulness!!

Sapper · Apr 21, 2024

Rockingit said:
View attachment 116059 View attachment 116060 View attachment 116061 View attachment 116062 View attachment 116063 View attachment 116064

136 pages of usefulness!!

Also available in pdf, DRM'ed though.

https://www.jac.ie/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Guide%20to%20BS%2062305%203rd%20edition.pdf

pc1966 · Apr 21, 2024

Rockingit said:
Not strictly speaking what you're asking for, but Furse do a really comprehensive guide on the subject - I've had my copy for several years now but at the time it was free.

I have the Furse booklet and it is really useful, seems to include most aspects! But not all unfortunately.

There are lots of factors that make calculation tedious or near-impractical without software assistance, but in my case the key point is the installation has to survive a direct hit to meet the availability figures, and by that point all of the indirect or "maybe not hit here" factors can be ignored, and focus just on the magnitude of strike energy and what SPD / bonding / earthing is needed to tick the "survive a direct hit" boxes.

Yes, it is in Scotland. Yes, that is not known for its hot and thunderous weather. But we do get occasional storms of that sort and I have been witness to a big hit that not only took out our roof-mounted kit about a km away, but also the church that got hit had to replace its LPS afterwards! Otherwise building was still standing and otherwise intact so the habitual sinners, and those regularly tempted, could breath a collective sigh of relief...

pc1966 · Apr 21, 2024

Sapper said:
Also available in pdf, DRM'ed though.

This is another really useful guide, though also a bit avertorial:

https://www.nvent.com/sites/default/files/acquiadam/assets/E907W-WWEN.pdf

pc1966 · Apr 23, 2024

Just to update folks on this. I contacted the Estonian standards organisation and it turns out the multi-user license is not DRM hobbled, but you get the PDF "personalised" so sharing or using more copies than licensed for is more obvious. Even so, the 2-3 person multi-user license from them is more than 5 times cheaper than the BSI "half price for members" single copy!