[TowerTalk] spider balls
k2qmf at juno.com
k2qmf at juno.com
Wed Jul 28 17:17:04 EDT 2004
Hello All,
Just how many male spiders would you need
to make one of these things???
Thanks for the info and 73, Ted K2QMF
On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 15:55:56 -0500 "Keith Dutson"
<kjdutson at earthlink.net> writes:
> This whole thread on bleeding off charges from clouds has been
> interesting,
> educational and entertaining to me. In my case, I cannot image this
> bleed
> theory has any relevance at all. But others seem to think it is a
> way to
> avoid damage. To each their own.
>
> At my QTH in Tomball, Texas (25 miles NW of Houston), there have
> been five
> observed strikes on the single 150 foot tower located near the
> center of the
> property. The tower went up in 1999. The property is approximately
> 16
> acres, about 850 feet square, and flat as a pancake. It is one
> parcel out
> of a 100 acre farm that was active until the farmer passed away
> about 40
> years ago. Soil is sandy loam down to 3 or 4 feet, then iron ore
> for many
> more feet (have dug to 20 feet so far). There are about 50 large
> pine trees
> scattered about and another 100 or so live oak trees planted in
> 1985. The
> tract was purchased in 1977.
>
> Lightning has been a frequent visitor to this site. Before the
> tower was
> erected ten pines were hit and killed. Since the tower went up not
> a single
> tree has been hit. So, apparently the 150 foot tower has protected
> the
> average 80 foot trees quite well - so far.
>
> Storms here with lightning are fast and furious. Dark clouds can
> seemingly
> appear out of nowhere. There is likely not a spot for miles around
> that has
> never been struck by a bolt. In fact, I assume that when the next
> two
> towers go up, it will be an invitation for more strikes.
>
> Up until the last two strikes, I never lost a single piece of
> equipment. I
> felt smug in the ground system design and implementation. All
> ground rods
> were connected in a single point. What changed my luck was when we
> remodeled the house two years ago and connected to the shack
> (separate
> building with separate AC power lines) with telephone, TV (satellite)
> and
> computer LAN. The last two strikes killed all phones, everything on
> the
> LAN, and TV service in the shack. I thought the first strike was a
> fluke.
> Now I realize that these connections are the problem. The LAN cable
> has
> been removed and will soon be replaced with wireless router. The TV
> and
> telephone lines will remain, but will be properly grounded at the
> entry
> panel.
>
> Keith
>
> _____
>
> From: Jerry Keller [mailto:k3bz at arrl.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 3:04 PM
> To: keith at dutson.net; 'TowerTalk'
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] spider balls
>
>
> Those are pretty big assumptions. Since there are so many variables,
> and
> they likely vary so widely, I doubt the chances that any particular
> set of
> assumptions can represent a "typical" strike for the purposes of
> discussion
> or analysis. I see what you're getting at, but I doubt that
> lightning
> phenomena can yet be defined in terms that would allow predictive
> description. We might get close, but not close enough.
>
> You're also assuming that the static build-up happens in a very
> short time,
> immediately prior to the strike. What if the ground potential
> sometimes
> "bleeds" off more slowly (or in a relatively long time, as it
> accumulates)
> so that the potential doesn't rise to the strike level?
>
> The phenomena over their antenna fields, described by John, W0UN and
> Don,
> VE6JY, as viewed by them from vantage points where they can see the
> storms
> come and go, cannot be dismissed simply because they seem
> inconsistent with
> current theory.
>
> 73, Jerry K3BZ
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Keith <mailto:kjdutson at earthlink.net> Dutson
> To: 'TowerTalk' <mailto:towertalk at contesting.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 2:54 PM
> Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] spider balls
>
> There is little doubt that porcupines will help bleed off static
> charges
> better than nothing at all. However, a lightning strike has little
> to do
> with static charge bleed off. Instead, a strike is the result of
> the
> buildup of a huge potential in rapid succession (a matter of seconds
> in many
> cases). Assume that a bolt of lightning originates from a height of
> 1000
> feet and is going to ground rather than horizontal within the cloud.
> Also
> assume the potential must be about 20KV to jump an inch. The 1000
> foot arc
> would require a minimum potential of approximately 240 million
> volts
> (1K*12*20K). Can you imagine what would happen if the little
> porcupine ball
> were to bleed off just 10 percent of this potential to avoid a
> strike? Can
> you say vaporization? <grin>
>
> Keith
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Dietz
> W5PR
> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 12:29 PM
> To: 'Towertalk Reflector'
> Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] spider balls
>
> If you have ever heard the static buildup on big antennas when a
> storm is
> nearby, it will make you a believer that the porcupines might work.
> I have
> no empirical evidence, but how can it HURT???
>
> Chuck W5PR
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers",
> "Wireless
> Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041
> with any
> questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers",
> "Wireless
> Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041
> with any
> questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers",
> "Wireless Weather Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free,
> 1-800-333-9041 with any questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
> _______________________________________________
> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>
>
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