[TowerTalk] spider balls.. they work

[Keith Dutson]

Your subject line says "they work" but you do not describe the claim of what
they are supposed to do.  This is highly misleading.  Most of the posts on
this thread have referred to advertising that claims these devices can be
employed to prevent lightning strikes.  What are you claiming?

Keith

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Norman Hockler
Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 1:14 AM
To: TowerTalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] spider balls.. they work

Ok, here is what I have observed.

In the 40's as a teenager I was crew on a wooden 100 ft sailing ship every
summer for 8 years.
We saw St. Elmos fire all the time.  It would shoot out from the spar ends
and screw or bolt ends.

About the 3rd or 4th year the owner bought some spider balls ( they were
called spline balls.)  and they were installed on the mast head of the fore
and main masts.

The result was most of the St Elmo fire was dissipated by them and very
little could be observed from the spar ends.

Would this result in lowering the likely hood of a lightning strike on my
tower...... who knows.... but it did move most of the discharges to the
"sharp pointy spline balls"

Norm Hockler
N8NH



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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.

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