[TowerTalk] Arc During Lightning Storm

[David Robbins K1TTT]

You are hearing the original lightning protector... the gap between wires in
typical electrical outlets, lamp sockets, switches, etc is so small that
they will arc over at just a couple thousand volts.  This is low enough of a
voltage that during a close strike the induced voltage can be high enough to
cause them to arc over but not be bad enough to actually damage 'normal'
equipment.  It can be enough to take out sensitive phones and modems and
cheap electronics.


David Robbins K1TTT
e-mail: mailto:k1ttt at arrl.net
web: http://www.k1ttt.net
AR-Cluster node: 145.69MHz or telnet://dxc.k1ttt.net
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:towertalk-
> bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Mike W2LO
> Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 23:11
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Arc During Lightning Storm
> 
>   A couple of times in my life I have been in a building during a
> lightning
> storm, as today, and I hear a "zap" arc-type noise during a close strike.
> Today I was in a garage during a storm and we had a close strike, but not
> terribly so, and I heard a loud "zap". All the ac circuits and telephones
> worked afterward (there were no external antennas, etc.) What am I
> hearing?
> 
>                                                    Mike  W2LO
> 
> 
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