After surviving two ear splitting, Polyphaser eating, eye blinding strikes
this summer, I want to stay as far from lightning as I can get. If you are
ever at ground zero during a really big strike you will never forget it.
Here it sounded like a 12 gauge shotgun going off in the room, and at the
same time there is a blinding flash of light. This was followed by a smell
of burning wire, and electronic stuff. NOT PRETTY. By the way Polyphaser
will not protect aganist a direct strike. The only thing you can do is try
and divert the energy to ground via the path that will do the least damage.
After my strike The AEP (power man) came by to check out my grounds and
circuits. We discussed lightning at length. He had stories that would curl
your hair. One was about AEP. He said they had a very important transformer
they wanted to protect at any cost. The AEP engineers designed a very
elaborate ground screen grid device, and all kinds of protection to the
incoming lines. Well, lightning hit the transformer late one afternoon in a
violent storm, and destroyed it. also it melted the ground screen, and
protection device. AEP had to have another transformer shipped in by train,
but were out if service in that area for several days. Bottom line: you
don't want to tangle with lightning!
73, Mick W4YV
----------
> From: Charles H. Harpole <harpole@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu>
> To: Larry A. Crim <k4ab@nerak.companet.net>
> Cc: Bill Fisher - W4AN <w4an@contesting.com>; towertalk@contesting.com;
cq-contest@contesting.com
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Re: [TowerTalk] Yagi Rain Static Observation
>
> Please, please, SHUT DOWN your radios, disconnect ALL wires going to the
> radios, and physically depart the area where the antennas enter or are
> terminated near the shack when ever lightning is perceptable!!!! You
are
> risking: death to you and yours, fire to your home, destruction (or
> worse, degradation, to your rigs--esp rcvers), and other bad things.
> I was in the shack during direct hit to my antennas. Saw a flame six
> inches high in my window sill, huge flash, and all radios, all electric
> bulbs, all fuses, and some wiring in house gone. It was a wonder I
wasnot
> killed (then u guys could win a contest or two).
> Seriously folks, get away from lightning, on the horizon is too close;
> closer is insanity! 73, K4VUD
>
>
>
> --
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