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Re: [TowerTalk] Porcupines

To: w7ts@comcast.net, <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Porcupines
From: Jim Lux <jimlux@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 16:20:17 -0800
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
At 01:33 PM 3/18/2005, Ken Kinyon wrote:
>Ok,
>I usually sit here and read all the BS that goes on on this reflector and
>bite my tongue.  This time I have gotten annoyed enough to react. I have a
>degree in atmospheric Science from a reputable university and have spent a
>fair amount of time studying thunderstorms and their associated effects. If
>you really think there is nothing to  lightning rods, porcupines, static
>wicks and the like I would like to move next to you and put a bunch up on my
>own towers.  The argument about pine trees is irrelevant, because they have
>a high resistive path to ground.
>Please tell me who these reputable researchers are.  I don't have any
>problem with you expressing your opinion, it is as valuable as mine.  but if
>you are going to fall back on reputable researchers, you can at least let us
>know where this info is coming from.
>Regards,
>Ken W7TS


Last time this came up, I collected all the relevant references:

http://home.earthlink.net/~w6rmk/lightning.htm

Excerpt:

As far as the claims on porcupines or spider balls...

Abdul M. Mousa, "The Applicability of Lightning Elimination Devices to 
Substations and Power Lines," IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, Vol. 13, 
No. 4, Oct. 1998m pp. 1120-1127.

Paper was peer-reviewed by six reviewers under threat of lawsuits. Paper 
states that these devices do not work as the manufacturers claim.

[JL: There are tons of online links to copies of this paper: google for 
Mousa and Lightning. However, since it's copyrighted by IEEE, and it's not 
clear that those other posters have gotten permission to post it, I'm not 
going to give you a direct link. ]

1997 Report on Dissipation Arrays, funded by FAA, Naval Research Labs, 
NASA, and USAF

The report, 274 pp., compiled by 17 scientists and engineers from around 
the world, provides no definitive physical or theoretical evidence that 
lightning dissipation arrays prevent lightning. The USAF presented photos 
showing the arrays being hit by lightning.

----

Other references on my page above.



_______________________________________________

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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