[TowerTalk] Weird lightning hit

[David Gilbert]

All lightning is weird and unpredictable.  There are countless stories 
of lightning hitting something on the ground while missing a nearby 
pole, tower, building, or tree.

73,
Dave   AB7E



On 10/1/2021 12:32 PM, Ignacy Misztal wrote:
> My QTH has two sets of antennas. A 100 ft tower with phased beams at 100
> and 60 ft, also supporting 4 sq for 80 and shunt fed for 160m. Some 120ft
> apart, a Spiderbeam on a 45 ft aluminum Spiderpole and rotated by G-800DXA.
>
> Recently the rotator for the Spiderbeam stopped working. There is no DC
> output from the controller but the position indicator is OK. With
> external DC the rotor works.  About 30 ft from the Spiderpole, a 60 ft high
> sweetgum tree exploded vertically. But an 80ft pine tree embracing the
> sweetgum is fine.
>
> Apparently the lightning hit the sweetgum and induced enough current to
> partly blow the Yaesu controller.
>
> A few questions to the knowledgeable.
>
> Why the smaller tree was hit and the bigger is fine? Why other trees up to
> 100 ft are OK? Why the 100ft tower shows no damage? Is the Yaesu controller
> vulnerable to lightning hits? Is it worth repairing?
>
> The tower is well grounded and the antennas by the house are bonded. The
> Spiderbeam rested on 4 ft metal poles and was not grounded otherwise
>
> Ignacy, NO9E
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