[TowerTalk] Porcupines and other wives tales

[Gary Schafer]

Charge can not be altered or bled off enough to make any difference. The
earth can re-supply the charge many times faster than you can reduce it. It
is worth reading the below article that Tom Osborne referenced in another
thread. It shows the math on how to calculate the charge being bled of from
sharp points.

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_lhm/magic.pdf

It shows at what field level corona starts and what typical levels are in
approaching storms. 

The build up of ions around the sharp points are also quickly blown away by
the wind. There is another company that touts an air terminal with a small
radio active tip that is supposed to create an ion field around it to
enhance the charge bleed off. Problem is the ions do not stay put in the
space because of the wind.

For those that still believe in this magic of reduction of charge as a
protective device, I have for sale some rabbits feet that you can hang on
your tower to reduce lightning strikes. I have had one on my tower for years
and never had a strike. Proof that they work!

73
Gary  K4FMX

> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:towertalk-
> bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bill Aycock
> Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 4:15 PM
> To: Keith Dutson; 'Jim Jarvis'; towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Porcupines and other wives tales
> 
> 
> Keith-
> Your statement below the excerpt from Jim, (below) is NOT true. It is not
> a
> matter of bleeding off the entire charge field, it is only a matter of
> changing the distribution of the charge. Changing the contour of the
> potential field to make another place the weakest path is all you need.
> I know many "experts" put the idea of bleeding off charge down, but I have
> seen professionals in related fields give arguments just as well
> documented
> on the other side.
> Quit assuming the whole energy packet has to be controlled, and think
> about
> using finesse, instead.
> Bill-W4BSG
> 
> At 03:03 PM 7/4/2006 -0500, Keith Dutson wrote:
> 
> > >The measured energy of the strike is not the point here. The point is
> to
> >try and prevent the charge build up to where the strike occurs.
> >
> >Well, if you are going to prevent a strike, you basically have to bleed
> off
> >all of the strike energy.  I don't think that is possible.
> >
> >73, Keith NM5G
> 
> Bill Aycock - W4BSG
> Woodville, Alabama
> 
> 
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