[TowerTalk] More comments on lightning

[Gareth Crispell]

Guy L. Olinger wrote:

> 
> I heard firsthand a story about a ham who had all his computers and ham
> equipment on a long table in the center of the room. When not in use,
> all cords, connections, etc, were rolled up on top of the table. When
> not in use there was six feet of open space in any direction in the
> room.

snip ..

> Massive ground fields under towers work.
> 
> Lightning LOVES trees.
> 
> Ungrounded or poorly grounded conductors from the vicinity of poorly
> grounded lightning attractors create fireballs in the hall and burn down
> people's houses (many years of fire dept. experience to back this up).
> 
>   Here, simply disconnecting lines may guard against induced surge, but
> may provide a path toward the house for a nearby strike on a tower with
> a poorly dissipating ground system. Even grounding both ends would not
> help if the connected grounds were poor.
> 
> Moving toward massive evidence:
> 
> Lightning doesn't strike "porcupines". Any reasonable theory must
> explain why.
> 
> I'm putting up a tower shortly. I intend to put in a large ground system
> as soon as the base is poured. What I don't know is how to measure the
> lightning receptivity of the ground. Any help on this?
> 
> I'm following this thread with great interest. Some posts have bordered
> on incivility. That's sad.
> 
> 73 y'all, and may you never be chased by a fireball.
> 
> Guy.

This was a wonderful post Guy, and I agree with your logic
concerning anecdotal evidence.
My great aunt was sitting in the kitchen of her farmhouse whipping
up some brownies when a softball sized ball of lightning came
rolling in the door. She was sitting on a high stool with 3 metal
legs. The ball rolled between the legs of the stool, made a circle,
and rolled right back out the same door it had entered. My aunt was
unscathed, but it absolutely scared the tar out of her and created a
family ledgned which has been retold countless times at
get-togethers. The only thing for certain about lightning is it's
uncertainty.

de ... N1MSV   (gary)  on the marsh 

-- 
                                                          
 Gareth            http://www.capecod.net/~gareth
                                      
                                                      
.....at the dawn of the New Age of Man,                  
     they will abide with us.                          
     Their glory and fire will burn like            
     sparks among the stubble!

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