[TowerTalk] Lighting

[Tom Rauch]

> Tom
> I may be wrong but my take on this is that many of us were
> told that structures not properly grounded would build up
static
> and be more likely to attract a strike.

Well, let's think about that.

Let's say the cloud is short a few electrons and the earth
has extra.

We magically insulate the tower so well it can't receive any
electrons from the earth. Now the tower is neutral, floating
midway between the cloud's potential and the earth's. Most
of the potential difference is between the earth and cloud.

Now we ground the tower, and since it is closer to the cloud
charges move up into the tower. Hmmm. Now the tower has the
highest field gradient to the cloud!

If a charge leaks off as corona, it is attracted towards the
cloud. Now the path is shorter!

I'm really sure this stuff that the charge bleeds off is
nonsense Jerry. Unless someone else can explain how
grounding the tower moves the tower TOWARDS the potential of
the cloud (reducing voltage gradient), or how corona leaving
the tower is magically repelled from the cloud that pulled
it up and out in the first place.

All someone has to do is explain that, and I'll see the
light!

73 Tom