Hello All,
Just how many male spiders would you need
to make one of these things???
Thanks for the info and 73, Ted K2QMF
On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 15:55:56 -0500 "Keith Dutson"
<kjdutson@earthlink.net> writes:
> This whole thread on bleeding off charges from clouds has been
> interesting,
> educational and entertaining to me. In my case, I cannot image this
> bleed
> theory has any relevance at all. But others seem to think it is a
> way to
> avoid damage. To each their own.
>
> At my QTH in Tomball, Texas (25 miles NW of Houston), there have
> been five
> observed strikes on the single 150 foot tower located near the
> center of the
> property. The tower went up in 1999. The property is approximately
> 16
> acres, about 850 feet square, and flat as a pancake. It is one
> parcel out
> of a 100 acre farm that was active until the farmer passed away
> about 40
> years ago. Soil is sandy loam down to 3 or 4 feet, then iron ore
> for many
> more feet (have dug to 20 feet so far). There are about 50 large
> pine trees
> scattered about and another 100 or so live oak trees planted in
> 1985. The
> tract was purchased in 1977.
>
> Lightning has been a frequent visitor to this site. Before the
> tower was
> erected ten pines were hit and killed. Since the tower went up not
> a single
> tree has been hit. So, apparently the 150 foot tower has protected
> the
> average 80 foot trees quite well - so far.
>
> Storms here with lightning are fast and furious. Dark clouds can
> seemingly
> appear out of nowhere. There is likely not a spot for miles around
> that has
> never been struck by a bolt. In fact, I assume that when the next
> two
> towers go up, it will be an invitation for more strikes.
>
> Up until the last two strikes, I never lost a single piece of
> equipment. I
> felt smug in the ground system design and implementation. All
> ground rods
> were connected in a single point. What changed my luck was when we
> remodeled the house two years ago and connected to the shack
> (separate
> building with separate AC power lines) with telephone, TV (satellite)
> and
> computer LAN. The last two strikes killed all phones, everything on
> the
> LAN, and TV service in the shack. I thought the first strike was a
> fluke.
> Now I realize that these connections are the problem. The LAN cable
> has
> been removed and will soon be replaced with wireless router. The TV
> and
> telephone lines will remain, but will be properly grounded at the
> entry
> panel.
>
> Keith
>
> _____
>
> From: Jerry Keller [mailto:k3bz@arrl.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 3:04 PM
> To: keith@dutson.net; 'TowerTalk'
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] spider balls
>
>
> Those are pretty big assumptions. Since there are so many variables,
> and
> they likely vary so widely, I doubt the chances that any particular
> set of
> assumptions can represent a "typical" strike for the purposes of
> discussion
> or analysis. I see what you're getting at, but I doubt that
> lightning
> phenomena can yet be defined in terms that would allow predictive
> description. We might get close, but not close enough.
>
> You're also assuming that the static build-up happens in a very
> short time,
> immediately prior to the strike. What if the ground potential
> sometimes
> "bleeds" off more slowly (or in a relatively long time, as it
> accumulates)
> so that the potential doesn't rise to the strike level?
>
> The phenomena over their antenna fields, described by John, W0UN and
> Don,
> VE6JY, as viewed by them from vantage points where they can see the
> storms
> come and go, cannot be dismissed simply because they seem
> inconsistent with
> current theory.
>
> 73, Jerry K3BZ
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Keith <mailto:kjdutson@earthlink.net> Dutson
> To: 'TowerTalk' <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 2:54 PM
> Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] spider balls
>
> There is little doubt that porcupines will help bleed off static
> charges
> better than nothing at all. However, a lightning strike has little
> to do
> with static charge bleed off. Instead, a strike is the result of
> the
> buildup of a huge potential in rapid succession (a matter of seconds
> in many
> cases). Assume that a bolt of lightning originates from a height of
> 1000
> feet and is going to ground rather than horizontal within the cloud.
> Also
> assume the potential must be about 20KV to jump an inch. The 1000
> foot arc
> would require a minimum potential of approximately 240 million
> volts
> (1K*12*20K). Can you imagine what would happen if the little
> porcupine ball
> were to bleed off just 10 percent of this potential to avoid a
> strike? Can
> you say vaporization? <grin>
>
> Keith
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Dietz
> W5PR
> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 12:29 PM
> To: 'Towertalk Reflector'
> Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] spider balls
>
> If you have ever heard the static buildup on big antennas when a
> storm is
> nearby, it will make you a believer that the porcupines might work.
> I have
> no empirical evidence, but how can it HURT???
>
> Chuck W5PR
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> 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.
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> 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.
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> 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.
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>
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_______________________________________________
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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