At 07:34 PM 5/9/98 +0000, you wrote:
>
>
>Charles H. Harpole wrote:
>
>> Why not also put a "Please strike here" sign up there with that sharp
>> pointy spike at the top of ur mast!!!
>>
>> Better to put a porky dissapator like one sold by THE WIREMAN at the top,
>> and further down too. K4VUD
>
>when i was in paris last year i was at the top of the eiffel tower...the top
>has a number of foot long sharp spikes at each corner of the octagonal
>platform. i noticed, however, they appeared quite old, but the tips were
>sharp...since discharging current in this manner tends to erode the tips of
>spikes, i wondered if they periodically sharped or replaced them...however,
>as i looked over the paris skyline, other thoughts filled my mind...and thats
>a story for another time...
A couple of years ago, our repeater antenna was getting struck by lighting
several times a year. The antenna was a DB Products phase array for two
meters on top of the 300 foot flour mill. In Newton, it is the tallest
structure and we can see for about 35 miles from the top of the mill.
We took a five foot stainless steel rod....sharpened it to a
point...attached it to the top of the antenna so it would stick up about 4
feet...ran heavy gauge wire down to the grounded electrical service at the
top which was grounded through some steel girders to the bottom of the mill.
No more stikes. None in two years. Previously, we had been struck so
often I kept spare parts on hand. HMMMMM. Maybe there is something to
sharp pointing things that says..."strike here." Theory or empirical data?
Lee Buller
k0wa@southwind.net
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