[TowerTalk] FW: Lightning suppression for yachts

[Keith Dutson]

John,

The pdf is available at:

http://www.dutson.net/transfer/HamRadio/

Keith NM5G 

-----Original Message-----
From: S/Y ALEXIA [mailto:alexia at alexia.mr.com.ar] 
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2005 2:17 AM
To: keith at dutson.net
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] FW: Lightning suppression for yachts

Hi Keith,
           Attached is the photo of the top of the mast. The 1.90mm Americas
cup carbon fibre aerial is shown in photo as the red line and gives you a
ruff idea of its shape and height. It carries electrical wires in side it to
transmit wind data to our instruments.  
This is where the hits have been occurring.

Any information you can offer me, will be much appreciated.

Regards

John Bennett

-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Dutson [mailto:kjdutson at earthlink.net]
Sent: 05 January 2005 23:09
To: 'S/Y ALEXIA'
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] FW: Lightning suppression for yachts

John,

This list does not allow attachments.  If you cannot post on a web site,
send the photo to me and I will put it up on my web site.

Keith NM5G 

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of S/Y ALEXIA
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 12:02 PM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] FW: Lightning suppression for yachts

 
 
To Whom It May Concern:
 
My name is John Bennett and I Captain a 100ft sailing yacht, which has a 45m
carbon fibre mast. We have LPS-Standard lightning prevention devices, ie.
Static dissipaters, but we have been hit twice by what we think was a static
charge. Those dissipaters are grounded through our keel bolts. In the photo
attached, you can see the 2 brushes covered with plastic and the multi
purpose aerial being the highest point in the photo. When we race, we also
have carbon wind instruments that are 1.90m above the top of the mast and
both times this has been hit. It has electrical wires inside the tubular
structure and the lightning charge travelled down that, damaging a lot of
equipment connected to it. 
I know if we go through another storm we will get hit again so I am trying
to reduce our chances.
 
If you have any ideas about our problem and any possible solutions, I will
be extremely grateful as having to replace everything twice was bad enough
but a third time will be very testing.
 
Kind regards
 
John Bennett