On Aug 30, 2005, at 4:18 AM, Nick Waterman wrote:
Serious?
What's more likely to be hit by lightning? A big, high-up, earthed
conductor, or a big, high-up conductor who's potential is allowed
to drift around a bit?
The only time I've suffered any lightning damage is when my antennas
were disconnected for Field Day. It wasn't a direct hit, but an
induced strike that took out about 45 feet of open wire line by
vaporizing both conductors.
In fact, when scientists want to study lightning, don't they do it
by attaching earthed wires to fireworks and shooting them into
thunderclouds?
Yes, they do.
You might be right, but I'd like to understand why - it sounds like
you'd be making an almost ideal lightning target :-)
I don't pretend to understand everything about lightning, since it is
an odd subject. However, grounding lowers the effective height of the
antennas by making it have the same potential as the ground.
A disconnected antenna can float and build up considerable charge,
which will make it a target.
Some contesters in the mid-west have told tales of big storms
approaching, only to have the lightning stop as it passes over their
multiple, grounded tower installations and then resume after it
drifts past. The grounding tends to bleed off any charge that would
preceed a strike.
Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
-- Wilbur Wright, 1901
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