On 4 Jun 98, M.G. Brafford <brad4@bellatlantic.net> wrote:
>
> My towers, TV ants, trees etc etc etc etc etc have been HIT MANY times. I
> have drawn the same conclusion, ie lightning hits anywhere it pleases!
> After 30 years with the Telephone CO. I could almost write a book about
> "odd" lightning strikes, such as the time it hit a floor joist and
> splintered its way to the basement window. Then exploded the window and
> snaked along the ground.
>
I have a better one (no joke here).
Last year, while I was on the computer and modem, lightning came in
thru the voice phone line and did the following:
Blew the house alarm system, which is mounted at entry point where
phone line comes in.
Blew a telephone anwering machine on same line.
Blew a TV plugged into same dual receptacle as the answering machine.
Blew out the power supply to our upstairs heat pump, mounted in attic.
(And here's the best one!) Blew a 4 x 4 inch hunk of wallpaper off the
wall in our bedroom - the charge apparently travelled down the
thermostat cable and jumped to the wallpaper which has a metallic foil
in it.
There was no damage to any ham equipment, no damage to the computer or
modem which was active at time of the strike (though was the 'other'
phone line, carried in the same underground, multiconductor cable from
the pole about 800 ft from the house).
The phone lines NOW have surge suppressors installed. They were the
only thing unprotected and not tied in to my single-point ground
system.
73 Barry
--
Barry Kutner, W2UP Internet: w2up@itw.com
Newtown, PA Frankford Radio Club
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