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Re: [TowerTalk] Lighting

To: "Tom Rauch" <w8ji@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Lighting
From: "RICHARD BOYD" <ke3q@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2004 21:41:11 -0400
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Many people have described observing this anecdotally, like W0UN with his 50 
to 100-mile view in Colorado, lighting strikes would cease when they neared 
his antenna farm and pick up again a couple miles on the other side.

Many of us have also observed the tic-tic-tic of static discharge coming in 
on a coax.

I doubt these things "prevent" a lightning strike, but I personally do 
believe they help discharge the atmosphere near the antenna farm, which 
helps prevent some strikes.  This effect may be much more pronounced with a 
multi-tower station than with just one tower.

On a dry winter day when you're walking on the carpet at the office and then 
touch the metal drinking fountain you get a sudden static discharge, 
analogous to a lightning strike (though micro).  Touch something metal every 
few steps and the charge cannot build up to such a size.  You are 
discharging the buildup before it gets so big.

73 - Rich, KE3Q

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Rauch" <w8ji@contesting.com>
To: "Wilson Lui" <wilsonlui@atitec.com>; "'David Robbins K1TTT'" 
<k1ttt@arrl.net>; <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2004 5:07 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Lighting


> Thanks Dave and Wilson.
>
> > Grounding does not prevent strikes. What a proper
> grounding system does do
> > is allow for any lightning strike that does happen is
> condected safely into
> > the surrounding soil and not arc through any
> equipment/structure trying to
> > find a lower resistance path to earth.
>
> That's my opinion also, based only on the physics involved.
>
> I notice a large group of people actually think lighting
> does not hit grounded structures because grounding causes
> the charges to bleed off or dissipate.
>
> I'm curious where that idea actually came from. Does anyone
> know?
>
> 73 Tom
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
> Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with 
> any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
> _______________________________________________
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> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
> 
_______________________________________________

See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather 
Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions 
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.

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