[Towertalk] Explain this!

[Joe Brown]

I used to use a 450' long wire when I lived in SD, on very windy days it 
would generate enough voltage to throw a 1/2" spark to ground every few 
seconds. I would think some of the folks who use rhombics, etc. have also 
seen this.

73, Joe W0DB


 -----Original Message-----
From: Jim Lux [mailto:jimlux@earthlink.net]
Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 2:42 PM
To: Scott Detloff K8DX; towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [Towertalk] Explain this!


electrostatic charging by the wind blown raindrops? This is a commonly known
phenomenon. (called p-static in the aviation area).. Off hand, I don't know
if your setup could hold enough charge to allow it to build up to a high
enough voltage for corona or surface
discharge....

Also occurs with blowing dust.  There are documented cases of telegraph
wires stretched across miles of prarie accumulating enough charge to support
a steady spark to ground at one end.  Also cases of 3-4 foot (!) long sparks
emanating from the tops of very dry sand dunes out at White Sands National
Monument.

The real question is whether your ground network/antenna was grounded or
just left floating?

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Detloff K8DX" <ni8l@raex.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 4:17 AM
Subject: [Towertalk] Explain this!


Woke up early this morning from the high winds and rain, not
to go down to the shack to listen for VK9ML on 160M :-)
As I often do when we have high winds, I came downstairs and
took a look outside to see how the antennas were surviving.
You have a tendency to do this when you've had a tower come
down :-)

I spotted something "glowing" about  the spot where my SW wire
vertical for the 80M 4SQ is.  At first I thought it was an animal,
and I was just seeing its eyes, but it wasn't moving, and turning on
the lights on in the back of the house didn't scare it away.

I took out the binoculars and could definitely tell it was the at the
base of the vertical that was glowing at the point where 120+ radials
run up through a 2" white PVC pipe into a Rubbermaid box that
holds an aluminum plate that connects all the radials.  Even though
it was completely dark out, wind still blowing, and raining,  I could
see the 4 X 4 post that everything is attached to, as well as the plastic
box with a dull white glow.  I watched it for another 15 minutes or so,
then went back to catch a little more sleep.  There is nothing to reflect
off
of.  Inspection of the vertical this morning shows nothing out of the
ordinary.

Any ideas?

Scott Detloff K8DX
Paris, Ohio
Visit The North Coast Contesters @  www.qsl.net/ncc
Tour K8DX @  www.qsl.net/k8dx


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