[TowerTalk] Lightning Strike

[Doug Renwick]

Gary,

You have convinced me that I am wasting my time as you are
unwilling to share how you know that your tower(s) have
never been hit by lightning.  No point in 'beating a dead
horse'.
I will REPEAT how I determine my tower bleeds off the
charge...as the storm approaches I can hear a 'sparking'
(audible) at the tower.  I have copied my post below for you
to reread.


"I have had a 'pointed' mast without a porcupine and a
'pointed' mast with a porcupine and in both configurations I
have not had any lightning damage ever, anywhere at my
present QTH in almost 30 years.  My neighbours say that they
have seen my tower take a direct hit, out of the corner of
my eye I think that I have seen my tower take a direct hit,
but I can not absolutely prove that indeed the tower took a
direct hit.  The top of my main tower will bleed off the
ground charge...it is very audible.  I am not promoting or
discounting the porcupine, just sharing my experience, and
my experience doesn't cost you anything."

Roger,

Please let me know what you find when you do your tower
maintenance.
I am trying to determine that my towers may have taken a
direct lightning hit and yet show no damage.  That
information will prove to me that the design have used for
my antenna farm is sufficient in avoiding damage from
lightning.


Doug/VA5DX



Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Lightning Strike

Doug,

I am going to use your logic here. Let's review what you
said in a past
post:

> Not true in my case.  Before I installed the porcupine my
mast bleed off 
> the charge.  

How do you know it bleed off "the charge"?

> A number of years ago I added the porcupine and my
mast/porcupine combo 
> still bleeds off the charge.

How do you know it "still bleeds off the charge"?

> In other words, my addition of the porcupine did not have
a negative 
> effect.  In almost 30 years I have not had any lightning
damage.  One of
> my mottos is 'experience trumps theory EVERY time' and
this is another 
> example.

> Doug/VA5DX

Ok, since I installed my rabbit's foot on my tower I have
not had any
lightning damage either and I don't claim it bleeds off any
charge!

Would you say that my experience trumps any theory about a
rabbit's foot
being the better protector?

73
Gary  K4FMX



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Doug Renwick [mailto:ve5ra at sasktel.net]
> Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 10:00 PM
> To: 'Gary Schafer'; towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Lightning Strike
> 
> Thanks Gary for the information.  Yes, I agree that Roger,
> K8RI is a creditable source and in many areas.
> However, I am still waiting for an answer to my question
to
> your statement about knowing that your tower(s) have never
> been hit by lightning.  How do you know?  Do you have a
> lightning strike counter?
> By what means do you know?
> 
> Doug/VA5DX


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