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(no email)
Date: Fri May 11 2007 - 21:35:32 EDT
Hi All,
I have no degree, and no personal experience
with lightning strikes on a boat.
However when I was working at Trimble we had
experience with an antenna tower in Chicago which
had been struck, on average, twice per year for 4
years wiping out every antenna, amplifier, and
coax cable thereon.
The only company that was offering any help
offered a system that was priced around 300,000
bucks which seemed to prevent damage for ONE
lightning strike. The 'refurbishment' fee was
about 50,000 bucks.
This system, which was entirely secret (neither
patented nor copyrighted) seemed to address the
problem of 'charge branching'. They claimed that
sensitive electronic systems were destroyed not by
the main strike (there WAS a grounded lightning
rod extending 20 feet above the highest point of
any antenna) but by side strikes that occurred due
to the breakdown of the "plasma conduit" ( not MY
terminology!).
This system SEEMED to reduce the loss of the
electronic devices to one set per year. I
wonder...
Thus the real cause of damage to your radio and
other antenna systems, IF you have already
installed a lightning rod with a direct and
straight connection to ground, is the failure of
that conductive path to be able to handle the
possible MILLIONS of amps that may be produced in
a lightning strike.
Thus I say again, first, make sure you are using
the THICKEST CONDUCTORS that you can afford.
Second, make sure you have the most straight line,
direct connection to ground (the sea is a good
ground) that you can.
Third, and most important, DISCONNECT ALL
ANTENNAS from the equipment if you detect any
approaching lightning!!!
There IS no way to prevent a lightning strike.
There IS no way to prevent damage to equipment
connected to an antenna when lightning DOES
strike.
Get the H-LL AWAY from all metal parts of your
boat until the danger has passed!!!
Lightning, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes,
volcanoes. We can NOT do anything about ANY of
these things!!!
Just try NOT to be a victim because you failed to
take those actions that MIGHT have saved your
life!!!
Oh yes. Move OUT of Florida if lightning is your
greatest fear. It is THE WORLDS CENTER for the
number of strikes per year.
Another reason to live elsewhere...
Eric Thompson
S/V Procrastinator
South San Francisco
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