[Towertalk] Lightning

[Larry]

Back in the early 50's my parents had a 50ft telescoping mast up on the =
crest of a hill about 500ft from the house. This was the only way for TV =
back then(southerntier of western new york) We had a very large all =
channel TV antenna, came down the mast with 300 ohm twin lead to a Blond =
Tounger(spelling) tube type preamp and went to 300 ohm open line(it had =
clear plastic spacers about every 1ft) all the way to the house to the =
power supply for the preamp then to a block that was for twin lead =
lightning protection. The house had lightning rods(aluminum) and =
interconnecting aluminum braided wire about the size of you thumb, it =
also had two things that were about the size of a very large soup can =
filled with something that expanded when lightning struck(which was quit =
often).

Well the antenna took a direct hit and vaporized the twinlead down the =
mast and blew out the preamp, most of the wire in the open wire was =
intact but the spacers melted and slid down the hill, it formed a ball =
of plastic about the size of a basketball at the window where it went =
into the house. That was quite the sight. It never effected the TV. The =
arrestor that was at the window was tied into the lightning rod grounds. =
My mother still lives there and the lightning rods are still there.

Larry WA2SRY


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