[TowerTalk] Spark Plug again

[Tom Rauch]

> I can get used spark plugs from a near by garage for nothing. I would put
> one at the base of each leg and tie them to a common ground.  If one
> melted away it would be simple to replace and I suspect I would have 1 or
> 2 left to hold me over until I got a replacement. Also, I have a number of
>  clamps for using on a galvanized ground rod. They just fit around a tower
> leg. It seems that this protection system would be very cheap to fabricate
> and operate .... oh the base of my tower is only 15' from the  back door
> so it is easy to access. Would this work? OTOH --- would the resistive
> component of the spark plug cause any problems?

I helped design a couple ignition systems for an aftermarket auto 
component manufacturer in the 70's, and have been drag racing 
since the late 60's.

Most spark plugs have an internal series "anti-fouling" gap. This 
gap lets the plug, even when fouled on the tip, appear as an open 
circuit so the ignition system can build up energy.

To make matters worse, virtually all non-racing plugs have built in 
internal series resistances to suppress RFI. 

Most old spark plugs (pre-1960's) and some racing and non-
automotive plugs use direct connections, but they are rare. 

I wouldn't trust any plug commonly found in automotive or truck 
applications as a lightning protection device. If you are really 
serious, I can look in some of my sparkplug books and find a plug 
that will work...but odds are you'll only find them laying around 
John Force's nitro burning funny car.




73, Tom W8JI
w8ji@contesting.com

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