----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis OConnor" <ad4hk2004@yahoo.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 12:35 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Rain Induced Voltage
<snip>
> On the comment about the static voltage rising to high levels and possibly
> damaging the coax... I have not >seen that, but I routinely see the
> voltages rise high enough to arc over at the PL-259... THis is most
> >pronounced during thunderstorms nearby, and conversely during fair, dry
> weather when the wind blows >actively...
Precip static should not be capable of damaging coax. It should flash over
at the connector(s) well before it is capable of damaging the coax itself.
Of course there is some cheap coax floating around out there. OTOH when it
comes to nearby, or direct lightning strikes that can damage most anything.
>
> denny / k8do
> On the suggestion that the falling water drop is charged, I agree... The
> issue is the polarity of charge and the >mechanism... Given that the
> earth is normally negative on the surface to mirror the positively charged
> cloud >base <cloud tops are negative>, I would expect the falling droplets
> to be positive, i.e. lacking electrons, and >that upon impacting the wire
> they attract an electron... Where upon falling away from the wire they
> carry that >electron with them leaving the wire positively charged... Ja?
> No?
Ja. Usually. Most of the time. <:-)) There are reports of thunderstorms
associated with "Sprites" that have a reverse polarity. Supposedly these are
more often associated with the so called "super strikes" and ocurr more
often in colder weather and thunder snow storms. They are still rare even
in those situations. NASA has been investigating this and did have a bit
about it on their site.
Roger (K8RI)
>
> denny
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