[TowerTalk] lightning and insulated elements..

[K8RI on Tower talk]

> Peter Chadwick wrote:
>>At one time, lightning arrestors with radio active tips were used, the
>>idea being that the extra ionisation would attract the
>>lightning bolt to the arrestor rather than teh building inteneded to be
>>protected. Whether the efficacy or otherwise was ever
>>proved is another matter.
>
> No, the extra ionisation was too localised to make any dramatic
> difference. What they did find was radioactively contaminated rainwater
> running down lightning conductors... and if one of the radioactive tips
> ever was hit by lightning, guess what happened then?

I worked on some high powered RF equipment that used spark gaps for over 
voltage protection. They contained enough radioactive material to require a 
license.  The radioactive material provided a means of controlling the break 
over voltage.  Unfortunately, they were not strong enough to handle the 
load. One device fell apart in my hands. I put the remains in a pile, 
covered it with a metal pail, and headed for the showers leaving a trail of 
clothes down the hall.  I ended up having to go through decon from that one. 
By the time the Hazmat team got there I was "squeaky clean" and the only 
radiation in the lab was under the pail.<:-))

Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com
>
> They ended up in my former employer's museum of dumb things to do with
> radioactivity.
>
>
>
> -- 
> 73 from Ian GM3SEK
>
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