Topband: Lightning makes antennas vanish

[Eddy Swynar]

On 2012-07-08, at 9:34 AM, Tom W8JI wrote:

> 
> Anyone else have this happen? My copperweld #14, that clearly has arc 
> pitting where it passed over other wires, shows no damage other than the arc 
> pits. The cad-steel fence wire must get so hot it just vaporizes. I can't 
> even find any pieces of it.
> 
> Since the 1960's or 70's, this is the very first time I've seen this happen. 
> Are thunderstorms more violent now, or is wire cheaper?  :-)
> 


Hi Tom,

Are you sure you weren't the victim of "...copper nappers", possibly...?!

There was a report in a Toronto paper the other day where some cell tower used by emergency forces of some kind in that city was knocked off the air for several hours---thieves had snipped as much copper & wiring that they could see, for re-sale to the scrap metal market...

That answers your last question, i.e. wire is NOT getting any "cheaper"---not by that stretch of the imagination! Hi Hi

~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ